


The Soaring and the Mysteries

by Underguard



Category: DreamWorks Dragons (Cartoon), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Ending, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:43:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 84
Words: 253,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28624302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Underguard/pseuds/Underguard
Summary: This takes place between HTTYD2 and HTTYD3. It will bleed into 3, and go beyond with a new ending eventually. It follows Hiccstrid exclusively; random pairings may exist as well. It is largely a romance and comfort between Hiccstrid that will have adventure.Rated M. It will contain Adult Content in some chapters. I will warn before each chapter that has adult content in it.This incorporates both Book and Series/Movies/Games lore. Series/Movies takes precedence over book lore. It will rewrite some of HtTYD3 and alter the ending.This will be updated approximately twice a week (Every 2-3 days).
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	1. Alone

All should be right with the world, shouldn't it?

It has been a month since Drago had fallen and his leviathan nearly leveled Berk; the ice from the leviathan still leaving its mark. A month since Toothless became the new Alpha, and I, the new Chief. A month since the greatest chieftain Berk has ever known fell; and my father was taken away.

I am fortunate that those around me saw him for the man he was, and me, for who I was becoming. Having reunited with my mother had helped fill the void left by my father, but not completely, and not after the dancing and the dreaming. I was shown a side of my father I have never seen before, and I had never seen him so happy than when he was able to dance with her again. A song made just for them, by them, for no one else but them. A testament to their love. And to have it ripped away so soon after, no closure; all it did was reopen a wound once closed and dip it in the thickest of salt waters.

Now I was expected to fill his shoes, to provide and embrace, to comfort and console the people of this island from all sides. To weather the storm of life and help provide them some level of normalcy as they travel their ice-layered home. It was a tall order for anyone, let alone a man barely into his twenties, even if I do have a Night Fury.

It is my burden to bear, my rune to wear. I am the Chief, and like my father… like my father I must be strong enough to lead alone. I must provide, to ensure my people survive. Not a tear can be shed, I am a fountain from which my friends, family and people can draw strength from. I must learn to need no one.

My thoughts haunt me as I am suddenly brought back to the waking world, the starlight shining down on me as I soar through the clouds. The blistering cold cutting across my face and hair as I lean back on Toothless; the new Alpha gently gliding on the winds like only a dragon can. It was so cold; I hardly noticed the tear that had slicked its way down my cheek.

"It'll be okay, bud. At least I have you still." I mutter, barely audible among the sound of wind.

It was a lie; I knew it was a lie. I had more, I have my mother, my friends, and people. I have Astrid. Astrid.

It was that single name, that single thought that prompted my eyes to squint to fight back the tears. A chief is supposed to be strong, and she's seen me at my worst.. Well, sort of. This is the worst its ever been. I cannot even begin to guess how long Toothless and I have been riding the wind on this night. The moon clear and the stars bright this high in the sky. The clouds beneath me hiding us from sight, I felt free to cry like I could not in the village. But I still cannot, I am the son of Stoick the Vast, Chief of the Hooligan Tribe and Rider of the Night Fury.

"We'll be okay." I say aloud, sighing as I hear Toothless coo. I really wish Astrid were with me, but I cannot distract her, and she is doing so much for me already. Better to keep this my escape, and when I return to the village, return with a smile and head held high.

"We're on patrol. That is it. Just… just another midnight patrol." I resign, though I doubt Toothless believed that. I am sure having trouble convincing myself. I do not need to convince myself. I just need to convince her. I am strong enough to take the mantle of my father, strong enough to do it alone…

It wasn't long after that when Toothless had grown tired from the several hour flight around the greater Berk waters and the clouds had begun dissipating. Setting down at one of the high points of Berks peaks, we sat and watched the moon crest the highest point in the sky; it had officially become tomorrow and here we were, still. I wish I could share this sight with Astrid.

It wouldn't be the first moon we've watched together. It might well be one of the last ones I get to enjoy like this, however. Sinking into myself, leaning against Toothless, I feel a cave erupt in my mind, my body and my soul. I can't seem to stop it anymore, my eyes begun to mist as my heart begins to throb and ebb in a dull pressure of a pain. Struggling to control it, I shake my head and huff a couple times from nose before finally burying my head into my knees. Thank the gods Astrid is not here to see this. I can't belief the Chieftain of Berk, son of the Great Stoick The Vast, was on the verge of a breakdown.

But why shouldn't I be.. I, I can't even feel the cold.

*************************************

He has been gone since dusk, and I had hoped to steal a moonlight ride with him. He is over working himself, over doing it. He rises before anyone in the village and sleeps only when the last one is settled. I help where I can, lead the Dragon Academy in his wake as Chief and often, I only see him at supper. I can see it in his eyes when he looks at me. A softness behind the façade of Chief. It is the unspoken words between us, the small kiss we can steal throughout the day, that I have grown to live for. He is not just my chief, my friend or even my boyfriend, he is my future.

Stormfly is settled as the moon crests the horizon, and once again I see nothing but darkness from Hiccup's house. The village was settled and quiet, and the sound of cooing from the perched dragons littering the rooftops could be heard. Even in the brisk cold, it was warming to hear. I was making one final stride through the paths of Berk before retiring, but I felt a heavy tug in my chest that kept me looking up. It is then I heard padded footsteps from behind me, and as I turn, I see none other than Hiccup's mother, Valka.

"Nice evening, Valka." I begin, her still walking with that interesting staff of hers as she takes up a stride next to me.

"Nightly patrol, Astrid?" She asks, the question was an empty one. She knew what I was doing, she wanted something else from me but I could only guess what.

"Yes. Just trying to make sure everything is settled before I turn in. I'd hate something to happen and leave it for Hiccup to have to worry about in the morning." I answer, my eyes slightly drifting up, towards the sky.

"He's certainly working and falling into his role as Chieftain. I, I worry about him. He's grown so distant in recent weeks, like he's suddenly afraid to show any emotion." Valka admits. She's seen it too, I've felt it. I nod with her as we walk.

"He's just trying to be like Stoick; a strong chieftain..." I begin, pausing as I hear her intake a breath.

"Who had to lead alone for Hiccups' entire life, who had to hide his pain of losing me from everyone." Valka admits, her voice nearly breaking.

We walk in silence for a few minutes before I hear her humming the strangest of tunes, glancing at her I see her eyes closed as we walk and a single tear from on her cheek.

"Did you- Did you know, Astrid, that Stoick and I had our own song and dance?" She says softly.

"No. I had no idea. Hey, are you okay?" I ask, stopping and turning to her. She only shakes her head.

"This is the eve of the day he found me again, the eve of the last day we ever had that dance. Astrid, when Stoick found Hiccup and then, me, he asked me to return to the village. To rejoin the family; but not before we had our dance again. Hiccup." She pauses and looks away, slightly shaking her head as I could only watch. I placed a hand on her shoulder as her breath hitched and she nodded.

"Hiccup got to see that dance for the first time, and by Odin's name, I do not think I had seen Stoick as happy in that dance as any other time before I was taken. I don't think Hiccup had ever seen that side of him… and now, he's just… He's gone, Astrid. And Hiccup does not know how to cope. Thor knows, neither do I." Valka admits. I could feel my own breath hitch.

I had been there when Stoick had passed and helped send him to the Halls of Valhalla. Hiccup, I remember his words. He apologized. It was so fast, and we had no time to mourn because of Drago, but I heard him. If we would have had the time then, I would have held him and let him cry. Gods knows he needs it. That is what Valka means; he's becoming like Stoick or trying too.

"Astrid." My name shook me out of my mind as I looked up at Valka, there was something in her eyes. It was almost a sign of fear. "Astrid, please. I know you and Hiccup are close."

I was immediately taken aback but nodded stubbornly. It was common knowledge in the village we were in a relationship. It's been growing slowly for years, since I was nearly blinded. We've only ever kissed, embraced each other, but nothing more.

"I- yes." I finally mutter confirmation. It was still awkward to talk about, especially to his mother.

"Please, show him he doesn't need to be alone. That you…" She sighs, looking away before placing her own hand on my shoulder. "That you can support him, the way I should've done with Stoick. You two aren't like us; you're better. You're the future." Valka says warmly, and confidently. Her soft expression smiling as I nod.

We continued our walk and rounded the corner to her house. After bidding each other farewell, I ran back to my own and woke Stormfly. I'm not going to let Hiccup bear this burden by himself. He's not alone; he's got me.

"Come on, girl. Let's find Hiccup." I said with a smile and heard her chirp as I climbed aboard. Stormfly had become rather adept at finding that Night Fury and its one-legged rider.

*************************************

The two of them had been riding for hours and the moon was nearing the highest point in the sky, and they'd still seen no sign of the Night Fury or its rider. Immediately, Astrid's mind went through a flurry of thoughts, of fears. Had a new enemy appeared or an old one resurfaced? Had something happened to Toothless's tail that caused them to be stranded? Shaking her fears off quickly, her face hardened. She was going to hurt him when she found him, no one gets to make her worry like this and face no repercussions.

As the moon begun its cresting of the high point in the sky, a familiar black silhouette darted from far above near Berks' highest point that barely caught the Hofferson's eye. Her lips curled into a smile and her heart begun to beat just a tad faster. Shaking her head and clutching her chest, she could not actually stop smiling, as weird as it was for her. The strong and fearless Astrid had finally saw signs of Toothless, and thus, his rider.

Normally, Astrid would have no problem diving in and interrupting whatever the young chief was up too. And normally, he might even appreciate it, but something tells her that tonight might be different. Delicacy wasn't exactly one of her strong points after all, luckily, she knew the general location of where the silhouette of Toothless went. Angling Stormfly to land a few hundred feet away from a cliff's edge near the peak, she settled the Deadly Nadder and made the rest of the way on foot.

Her movements were light and hardly registerable to even the keenest of dragon's ears, she was one of the finest warriors in Berk, after all. But none of her training could have prepared her for the sight of her Chieftain, her boyfriend, her friend, softly sobbing into his own knees with Toothless trying his best to comfort his rider. Astrid could feel her own heart breaking, Valka was right to be concerned.

Approaching softly, only Toothless noticed Astrid and didn't make a sound as the Hofferson brought a finger to her lips to ask for his trust. The Night Fury only nodded and lay there with his rider as Astrid closed in. Just a few more feet, just a few more.

"I'm sorry" Was all she heard muffled from underneath his knees, undoubtedly talking to himself.

Gently placing a hand on his shoulder, Astrid spoke softly and more gently at this point, than she probably ever has in her life. "Hiccup?" She cooed, her voice carrying into the young Chief's ears bringing him back to reality and suddenly his heart was in his throat. Leaping up from his sitting position, he turns and faces her. A sheepish grin and blood-shot eyes along with a couple sniffles greeting her as he recomposes himself.

"Oh, my! Hi Astrid. Hi Astrid. Hi Astrid… What're you, uh, doing here?" He felt like a kid again, like she just caught him with Toothless for the first time. No, this was worse. She caught him weak; which is par for the course, honestly. He is a Hiccup of the tribe, after all, or at least, he was.

"Babe, Hiccup. Come here." Was all she could say, there was a certain pleading in her voice as she opened her arms, asking for an embrace. She could see him stifle, his breath hitched with a sharp intake as Toothless nudged the young chief into Astrid's arms. He didn't even fight it and embraced her as well, standing in the cold at the highest peak.

"Hiccup. I know what day it is, and I just want you to know" She pauses and breaks the embrace, pulling away to look him in the eyes. "You aren't alone. You have me." And pulled him in. Their noses brushed as their lips touched and their eyes closed. Sinking into it, Astrid ended up nearly sitting on Hiccups lap as their lips parted.

"Thank you, Astrid. I'm, I'm sorry. I've been-" He was cut off by a finger placed on his lips as she shook her head.

"Don't you say it. You've been someone grieving alone. Nothing more. You don't have to grieve alone; you don't have to lead alone. I'm with you, and I always will be." She stated, confidently though softly.

"I love you, Astrid Hofferson."

"I love you, Hiccup Haddock."

Their lips touched once more as they closed their eyes and forgot the cold, their problems and everything. They had each other, and nothing was going to change that.


	2. Responsibility Never Rests

I don't know when we actually returned to the village that night, it must've been well into the morning and never before have I felt a pull as I walked Astrid back to her hut. Our last embrace that night was longer than usual, closer than normal and just, felt different. I had to be strong for the tribe, but she would be strong for me. I didn't know I needed that, but I did.

I didn't get more than a couple hours of sleep before the sun begun to crest the horizon. Patting Toothless, I quietly ate my morning food and dressed before heading out. Every day as a Chief is a day of work and communication, and it never stops. It does seem that most within the tribe had begun to settle into the reality that I, the hiccup of the tribe, was their Chief.

It was no different than my time at the Dragon Academy, just one problem at a time. Respond and solve them as they appear and try to fix some before they start. It doesn't always work, and there have been a share of challenges. Shockingly, I'd come to rely on someone as another of my right hand men, Eret. He has really taken to Berk and, yes, he was considered an outsider for a while, has really stepped up. It's helpful, to say the least.

It has been an odd day, by late morning, I must've rounded the village twice on foot and double that in the air. I've met with most of the tribe in some way or another, and the one person I hadn't seen yet, has been Astrid. Not like I had time to wonder about where she could be, and not that I am worried.

Today I've felt better, it was as though I needed last night. I needed to just be able to release, to say the things I cannot say in front of the village. To shed the tear I can't shed. Today was the day the people finished the statue of my father. It was amazing; they did it without being asked. It took a whole month to carve into the side of the mountain with a near exact likeness.

He may be gone, but he'll always be watching over us. Always. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see my mother.

"Your father is looking down on us Hiccup, and I can tell you, he is everybit as proud of you as I am. You're the Chief Berk needs right now."

"Thanks, mom. I miss him."

"And that's okay too."

I smiled, mothers always seem to know what to say and when to say it. Staring up at the statue I couldn't help but feel proud of that man.

"So, how are you and Astrid doing" I heard and it echoed in my head like a bell. It seems mothers always know what not to say, and when to say it, too.

"I, uh, what do you mean?" I stammered

"Oh, come on, Hiccup. It's no great secret. You are stronger together." She replied, confidently. "And Berk could use a Chieftess like her." She added, causing my heart to wretch.

"Mom! I, we- we're no where near ready for that." I blurted out.

"Ready for what?" Cooed the familiar voice of Astrid as she approached from behind with Stormfly in tow.

"You could've warned me" I nearly hissed at my mother who only chuckled.

"Well, I'll be off then. The town will be busy during the lunch hour, you can find me in the Hall if you need something" My mother said with a grin as Cloudjumper climbed down from a nearby perch and lifted her away. Leaving me alone with Astrid, awkwardly, in the middle of an empty center.

"Ready for what?" Astrid's voice echoed as she leaned in.

"I, uh, we. Uh, can we, not talk about that? That'd be awesome. Where have you been?" I stammered, finally forming a viable question in my mind to hopefully derail the subject.

"I've had a project I've been working on." She answers smugly

"Okay? Are you, uh, gonna share what it is?"

"Maybe. Ready for what?" She repeats and I groan. I glance at Toothless and he just coos before walking over to Stormfly and the coercing the Nadder to walk away with him.

"Thanks, bud." I sigh and nod. "Come on, let's go for a walk." I suggest and she doesn't argue.

The walk to the Dragon Academy is long when you've been used to riding dragons, long and silent as I try to form the words.

"Hiccup, what's bothering you?"

"Just, my mom. Being a mom. Ya know, how they can make things really awkward really fast for no apparent reason other than their own personal humor." I vent, sighing as she chuckles.

"Uh huh. So, spill?"

"She, uh, asked when we were going to, ya know?" I start, sort've muttering the last part.

"Going to what?" She said, and now I could actually feel her apprehension. I gulped.

"Get. Married." I finish slowly, prompting her to stop. I glance back at her and she's got beat red cheeks.

"We're no where near ready for that!" She explains, waving her hands.

"I know! That's what I said. That's, uh, actually when you showed up." I sheepishly add. "So, shelve that conversation for another time? Right?" I suggest, almost beg. Though she hasn't moved yet. There is something in her posture that's off. She's gripping her left arm and looking to the ground.

"Astrid?" Approaching gently, I can see her biting her lip and looking away.

"Hiccup, I…" She mutters. My heart is wrenching, is she breaking up with me? No. Never. She said it last night. Forever.

"Hiccup… I do want to marry you, I just want you to know that. Even if it's not official yet, just know that, as far as I'm really concerned, we may as well be." She mutters and I can only smile. I don't deserve this warrior women of a viking. This impossibly tough and nigh invincible woman, acting like it's me who she doesn't deserve. That's not even fair. Shaking my head I approach and embrace her.

The cold air on the walkway causing us to move closer. "I know." I whisper into her ear and can feel her scrunch even closer.

"This is going to sound crazy, even for us…" She says softly into my neck. "I was really lonely last night, and all I wanted was to feel your arms around me." She finishes and my heart nearly cracks.

That line. That blasted line, she almost sung it, like my parents did. I squeezed her tighter and fought a tear. It isn't our song, but I'd sing it to her. "Me too. Astrid, would you; uh. I mean, I would really like it if-"

I paused as she shifted and looked at me. "I'd sleep better, too." Is all she says, and pecks me on the lips once before breaking the embrace. Smiling, we start continuing our walk.

"So, you said you were working on a project?" I ask

"I'll show you tonight." She says with her knowing smug. Not knowing was going to haunt me for the rest of the day.

Suddenly there was a loud horn from the Center of the Village. With all the new dragons in town, roughhousing and damages were common and we made a new horn-call just for that. I sighed with a smile as I gaze into her eyes.

"Responsibility never rests, Chief." She says and nods. I pull her in and kiss her once more before we make our way back to town.

********************************

Last night was impossible. I couldn't sleep til nearly dawn and even then it was impossible as the entire village woke up. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could do was think of Hiccup and feeling his embrace. He wasn't the same little kid he was five years ago. He was a young man, a former blacksmith, a dragon rider, and a Chief. And for some reason, I couldn't be happier than when I am in his arms.

I'm a viking woman, a warrior. A man, not even Hiccup, should hold this power over me. Yet, he does. He has. A gentle soul that can bite as well as it barks. I just want him with him. He's the only one I'd soar all day and night to find, the only one whose arms I want around me.

My mind was racing so much, I've no idea when sleep finally overtook me, but it was well into mid-morning before I woke up. And if I knew Hiccup, he hadn't sleep hardly at all before getting up and starting his next day as Chief. This was the day they finished Stoick's statue. It was a celebration in honor of the late Chief, I just hope Hiccup is going to be okay.

Finally rolling out of bed, I dress and rush to find Gobber. I've got an idea, but I need the help of a blacksmith. Luckily, he lived at that blasted shop, and the familiar ring of iron was heard as I closed in, Stormfly close in tow. As I enter, Stormfly rounds the shop and nestles in the back, waiting for me.

"Gobber!"

"Well, Hello, young lassy. What can I do for ya today?" He says, spinning around and detaching the hammer attachment and applying the hook.

"I need your help, I've got an idea. A gift I want to give Hiccup, but I need the help of a Blacksmith."

"Well! You've come to the right place! He should be tied up with his duties all day I doubt he'll make it by the shop. Let's hear this idea." Gobber said with a grin and I nodded.

As I explained, I drew it out on paper with him nodding along. "I gotta say, lassy. He's not much for this type of gift, but I think… I think he may just like this one. I've even got some Gronkleiron I can use for it, best metal on Berk." He answers, scratching his chin at first before clasping the hook to the table.

"Thank you! If you see him, don't tell him anything about it!"

"You've got it lassy, now get out of here." He says, looking straight at me with a suddenly serious face.

"No, I want to help." I respond and he hurriedly shakes his head.

"No, Get Out Of Here." He emphases and looks beyond me. As I turn, I see Hiccup and Toothless approaching the shop. I nod to him and dart behind the shop, then I hear him.

"Hey, Gobber. Anything going on today?"

"Not much today, Chief! Just getting ready for the celebration tonight. Stoick the Vast Day will be a day of celebration in honor of our late Chief!" Gobber says, overly enthused enough that even I buy it.

"Uh, yeah. We really need to come up with a better name for this. But yes. Thank you Gobber. I'll see you tonight at the Great Hall, then?" Hiccup notions and Gobber nods, sending the young Chief on his way.

I nearly round the corner til I hear him again.

"Oh, hey Gobber. Have you seen Astrid?" He asks, my heart skips a beat. Please don't pay attention to your surroundings for once in your life, Hiccup. The notes on the table are clearly my work… and there is a nestled Nadder just round the corner.

"Uh, Astrid? No. Why? Why would she be here?" Gobber asks and I groan internally. Shut up. Please.

"Oh, no reason. I just haven't seen her yet and" He trails off and I hear Gobber's peg leg move

"And?"

"And I want too. So, that's all. Nothing important really. Thanks, she's probably at the Academy or taking Stormfly for a morning flight." He says, sounding almost defeated. It took ever ounce of willpower I had to not rush out and hug him.

"Don't you worry yer little britches, Chief. If I know that lassy, and I think I do. She wants to see you too! Just wait, I'm sure she'll find ya!" He says with a cheery voice that seems to pick him up. I'll be honest, kinda picked me up too.

"Okay, thanks Gobber. See you tonight. Let's go, bud." And with that, he was off. I rounded the corner and glanced at Gobber who had a wide-eyed expression on his face.

"Gobber?"

"Innards of Thor; that boy is down-right smitten for ye, lass. It was written all on his face." He says, his blank expression changing to a grin as he grapples me into a hug.

"Ugh, Gobber! Quit it." I snap and he let's go with a shrug. "And, thanks. For not blowing that."

"You bet, lassy. Now get out of here before he comes back. I'll get this project o' yers sorted. Think nothing of it. Way I figure it, you've earned this, and so has he." Gobber said matter-of-factly and shooed me away.

Hopping on Stormfly, we dove down the cliff face and rounded the island. Now I needed to clear my head and a flight sounds perfect, thanks for that idea, Hiccup. I would not even be upset if we ran into each other up here.

But hours pass and the flight, while relaxing, was lonely. Our dragons keep us company sure and are our best friends. But no one is more important to me than Hiccup.

Rounding back, soaring over the clear waters around Berk, it must be close to mid-day as the sun crests the high point in the sky. Low and behold, there, in the center is Hiccup and Valka. It's been several hours, and I want to see him.

Landing back near them, I hear that phrase.

"We're nowhere near ready for that!"

"Ready for what?" I chirp, purposefully intending to startle him as his mom chuckles and takes off. We walk a ways and, I gotta admit, I wasn't ready for that either. It was an awkward conversation to be sure, but every word I said was the truth. As far as I am really concerned, we are married in my mind and there is no one else in this world for me.

The horn sounds and we make our way back, parting ways at the Center for one final brief embrace, I make my way back to Gobber's. The smith looks to be locking up his place.

"Gobber, what's going on?"

"Oh, the Chief came back again after ye left and said to pack up, he wanted my help in the Hall Preparations tonight."

"Damn it!"

"Watch yer tongue, lassy. I finished yer project. Some of my finest work if I do say so myself. Gronkleiron can do some amazing things when you really try. Ye might want to be careful with them. Honestly, I think Hiccup is really gonna like this." Gobber explains, and hands me a small box. I knew what was inside, and I could not wait to show Hiccup. Tonight.

First, the celebration.


	3. The Celebration

It was a celebration, for you see, in the Viking Culture we do not mourn the death of a friend, or a family member, or even a Chief. We celebrate their life, their accomplishments, and their death as they rest in Halls of Valhalla for Eternity and watch over us. We may mourn in private, shed a tear when we're alone or with those whom we trust. On this night in the Great Hall, there are no tears being shed. Just lively chatter and a joyful chorus of mead-soaked voices reverberating off the halls. For the Mead is strong and the food is good; and by the Great Gods, we were going to celebrate my father.

The Great Hall was bustling with various chatter as I sit at the Chieftains table, my mother to my left and Astrid to my right. Eret, Fishlegs, even the twins and Snotlout had a place at this table with me. I would never have been able to accomplish the things I did without them. It was something else to witness, to look down from the Chieftain's table at the ramble and sea of hearty Vikings bustling in their seats and telling more stories than I could ever repeat about my father. The food was ready, and the mead reserves were full.

Taking a nervous gulp as I think on what I'm about to do, I take a deep breath and nod to myself. I feel the comforting feeling of Astrid's hand cup my own. With my other hand, and tapping a loud glass, a silence falls over the Hall as I look to Astrid who only smiles and nods. Standing, I do the one thing I was never cut out to do, speak to the masses.

"People of Berk. It is my honor and my privilege to be your Chief, we've had our share of troubles over the past years, but we've always come out of them stronger for it. Now it is through the utmost respect of my father, Chief Stoick Haddock the Vast, that I name this day Stoick Commemoration Day. As all of you know, a month ago, our way of life was attacked, and our home nearly destroyed. We nearly lost everything from our island to our dragons, to each other. Our Chief was taken from us by a madman who knew not what peace is, but only war. He knew only how to bring pain and suffering to those were around him. On this day, we remember that it was our way of life that defeated his; a way of life our late Chief helped us refine. That was through the acts of Stoick the Vast that brought us here, that united us against this aggressor! And we prevailed!" I say, hefting my cup of mead to the air and hearing a thundering cheer from below.

"It is on this day, that we remember him, that we celebrate him. We may face aggressors in the future, those who would still see our way of life destroyed. Those who will challenge our resolve. We will meet the future as we met it in the past. United with our dragons, and with each other!" I continue, earning another thundering cheer that echoes off the halls.

"And I say this to you now. Mourn our late chief, honor him, but most importantly, CELEBRATE HIM! TO THE GREAT CHIEF STOICK HADDOCK THE VAST!" I shout, raising my mug.

"TO STOICK!" They echo.

"TO THE PEOPLE OF BERK!" I continue.

"TO BERK!" They echo.

"TO OUR DRAGONS!" I finish.

"TO OUR DRAGONS!" They echo and erupt in cheers

"TO CHIEF HICCUP HADDOCK THE THIRD!" I suddenly hear besides me as Astrid stands, raising her own cup next to mine.

"TO CHIEF HICCUP!" They all echo and applaud before the Hall erupts in lively chatter as the dig in to their food and their mead.

"I can't say this enough, Hiccup. Your father would've been proud." I hear my mother say besides me.

"I know I am." Astrid echoes with a smile.

"Oh, Okay. Gods, can't you guys like, ever, stop?" The voice of Snotlout groans from the wayside

"Oh, I don't know, do you think we can, Astrid?" I joke, teasing as I glance at Snotlout but feel a peck on my lips as Astrid leaned in.

"Nope!" Astrid chirps with a smug grin.

"UGH!" Snotlout exclaims, kicking his chair back before tipping it and falling, earning a laugh from all of us.

"Yeah, no kidding!" Ruffnut agrees

"You two could at least, try, to not to do. It'd be better for all of us" Tuffnut adds before looking at his sister. "Right?"

"Uh, yes." She sighs and they both dig into their food.

"Wasn't expecting that" I lean back into my chair and say softly to Astrid.

"What part?" She questions.

"The toast."

"Yeah, well, I didn't expect that." She answers, opening her arms and gesturing to me.

"What, you just gestured to all of me? Is this going to be a thing with everyone now?"

"It's true. That was an impressive speech, Hiccup." I hear Eret from the other side of the table.

"Ah, yeah, thanks. I, uh, I don't like speeches." I stumble

"Could've fooled us!" Tuffnut added

"Yeah, you talked for like, a long time." Ruffnut continued.

"Of course, he did. It was in honor of the Great Stoick!" Fishlegs scolds them before turning to me. "I thought it was great, Hiccup!"

"And every second of it was worth it." Astrid finished, shooting her infamous death glare at the twins who promptly looked away and dug back into their own food. I feel her hand snake into mine under the table, our fingers interlocked as she glances towards me and smiles. I clench her hand and squeeze, returning the smile. There is no where I'd rather be at this moment, well, that's not entirely true…

*************************

Hearing them cheer his name after his fathers was palpable, and honestly made me happy. Staring down a dragon, that is hard. Staring down your tribe on the one-month anniversary of the former Chief's death, as a hiccup, and making them cheer, that's almost impossible.

The scent of honey permeates the room as the mead is thrown down like water and the food is scarfed down. Other than a few side comments that were quickly silenced, this night was working out pretty good. Now I just had to find the right time and place to give him his gift.

"Hiccup, think we could go somewhere private for a while?" I say softly, glancing up at him as he takes another swig of his own mead. He smiles and nods at me.

"Hey, mom. Can you cover for me for a bit?" He asks and I see Valka offer a knowing grin towards me as she nods.

"Of course, son. Go on." She shoos us away, luckily without anyone else noticing. Everyone was too engulfed in their food or mead to notice the Chief and his girlfriend slip out.

Escaping the Great Hall, we move around the side of it in the large field, on the other side of Stoick's statue.

"So?" Hiccup questions and I stumble as I pull out a small box.

"I wanted to get you something. Sit." I command and he listens, sitting with me as I unfurrow the cloth wrappings inside the box to reveal two expertly crafted daggers of Gronkle-iron. I'd need to pay Gobber for this, these were exceptional even by my standards. I sigh and glance up at Hiccup who looks over them with a soft smile.

"Now, before you say anything. I know you're not really a weapons guy, but these are a pair. Inscribed on the hilt is the Vegvisir, the way-finder wheel. Each dagger points to the other, so if you hold them, like this, they point to each other. I have one and you have one. Even if we are separated or lost, even if we do not know our destination or course, we will always be able to find each other." I explain softly, my fingers dancing the daggers together until his hands cover mind.

Glancing up, I meet his eyes and the smile on his face is intoxicating. "They're perfect, Astrid. I know just where I'll put this." He takes one and places the other in my hand and I smile. This had worked out exactly as I had hoped.

He pulls out a small cloth from underneath his suit and sort of shrugs as he glances at me. "Turns out, I, uh, I got something for you too. Though it's probably not as cool as these daggers." He says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with a half-smile as I smile and roll my eyes.

"Letting the suspense build, babe?" I ask, teasingly with a grin. A grin that nearly evaporates as he unfurrows the cloth revealing a carved emblem of a Deadly Nadder with the Haddock and Hofferson family crests merged on the Nadder's forehead. Pulling it up, it's linked with a long chain, like a necklace.

"I've been working for a while. I made it so it could fit around your armor. It's uh, well, it's a betrothal gift. I know we're not ready for that, not by a long shot. We've still got so much to do, so much to see and understand. But, I, this, this is for you. I never want to be without you, Astrid. And we will marry, someday. When the time is right." Hiccup says softly as he hands me the emblem.

True to his design, it fits perfectly between my shoulder pads. Clutching it, I glance up at him with a smile. He's such an unassuming, charismatic, romantic man. He never thinks of himself first, but he wouldn't have too. I would. My face softens as I gaze into his eyes and then, suddenly, abruptly? I feel his hands on my waist as he pulls me closer to him and leans back against one of the stone feet of Stoick, me now sitting comfortably in his arms.

"He's watching over us, Hiccup." I say softly into his chest as he nods.

"I could stay like this for hours and not need a thing."

"Not even Toothless?" I question, teasingly, knowing the answer. I'd never make him answer that in truth, but now, maybe, I'm a tad curious.

"Toothless is my best bud, my friend. I'll never leave him behind." He says softly before adding "And you're my future Chieftess; my love." He says softly and I feel warmer. I hear him start to hum a tune.

"I'd swim and sail on savage seas, with never a fear of drowning." He hums softly and I nestle into him. This is the song Valka and Stoick shared before he died. It wasn't our song, but maybe it could show us how to make one of our own. One that defines our lives more, that tells us what we mean to each other, and what we'd do for each other. My mind races, his mind must be too.

It isn't long after until people start filtering out the Great Hall, holding each other up and singing various songs, making their ways back to their huts. I glance up to Hiccup and see his eyes gently closed.

"Hiccup" I say softly, prompting a soft grunt of acknowledgement from him.

He slowly opens his eyes and sees me looking up at him and nestles me closer to him and nods with a content look on his face.

"Can I spend the night tonight?" I ask sheepishly, softly in a voice barely above a whisper. He must've heard me, as I feel his heartbeat increase and a smile crease his lips.

"I'd love that." He says softly.

We slowly rise and make our way to his hut. There, we find Toothless already sleeping outside, hanging from a beam. A soft chuckle later and we make it inside. His house had become cluttered with various chiefly or dragon notes, and Stoick's chair sits in the corner by the fire pit completely untouched. Even his mug is set on the floor besides the chair. Hiccup would probably leave them both there.

Our hard wood beds a thing of the past as fur lines the bedding and the simple cloth blankets replaced by much warmer fur ones. Berk was progressing into the future, and it was mostly thanks to Hiccup.

Shredding down to not but my chest sash and under garments, Chief Hiccup Haddock the Third is already laying in bed with not but his trousers, with him making obvious room for me to join him. I can't help but smile as I climb in next to him and face him in the bed.

I feel his arms snake around me and pull me closer, our faces mere inches apart as I smile. The look in his eyes are something I'll never forget. Like, he hadn't a care in the world; like there was nowhere else he'd rather be. A soft, pure feeling of content washes over us both as our lips gently brush and our eyes close. I'm sleeping in his arms tonight, and if I have it my way, every night from now on.


	4. A Night Ride

This was a new feeling, there is a warmth I'm not used too, something more than the fur blankets and the bedding. Something that moves. Blinking my eyes open, it's now a dark and cold early morning on Berk, not that I could tell it was cold. I feel his arms wrapped around me, pulling me in closer as his soft breath tickles my neck. I must've rolled over in the night, but he never lessened his embrace.

I can see the stars filtering down from the window in his roof, barely providing enough light for me to make out any shapes in the house. Though, there is an unmistakable purr from the Night Fury that had, at some point, made its way to the heated rock in his room and is resting comfortably there.

A smile crests my face as I close my eyes, another one of his soft breaths tickles the back of my neck, and his body is warm with our legs crossing. I feel the urge to stretch and span out, but I feel another urge to nestle in and melt. Gods, I'm not normally this mushy but, it's Hiccup. I can't really place when he broke in and stole my heart but it's his to keep. Slinking my hands up, I find his and softly hold them as his arms are around me. His breath hitches as I feel his embrace tighten.

"Hiccup" I say softly through a smile as I scrunch closer, closing all gaps between our bodies, still gazing out of the roof window. He doesn't answer at first.

"So, it wasn't a dream." He answers softly, nuzzling his face into the back of my neck and head before softly kissing my neck and shoulder. Prompting me to giggle softly.

"No. It really wasn't. I could stay like this for ever, Hiccup." I mutter softly, closing my eyes and smiling as I feel his lips trace my neck.

"Me too, Astrid, me too." He answers, his voice barely above a whisper and the words I could tell, were only meant for me. His answer warms my heart, in ways I never truly believed possible.

We lay there, in silence for a moment before I tug at his grip and he loosens it, allowing me to roll over and face him. I could wake up to this man for the rest of my days and never want for anything more, and from the look in his eye, he feels the same. Nuzzling up, I peck him lightly on the lips before burying my face in his chest, and I feel his arms retighten around me as our legs relock. His lips peck my forehead and I let out a long breath.

Hmmm, hmm hmm hmm hm hmm hmm hmm, hmmm hmm hmm hmm hm. I hear him softly humming and as I glance up, I notice a tear in his closed eye amid the hum and a smile.

"Babe, are you okay?" I ask softly, snaking up to be eye level with him and wiping the tear away. He nods, but not convincingly. His eyes stay closed for a moment as he continues to hum the tune, it's the one Valka told me about. I peck him lightly on the lips again and rest my head on the pillow, so our noses barely touch. His eyes barely open and meet mine.

"Did I ever tell you what happened when my dad found my mother in that dragon nest?" Hiccup asks and I'm suddenly reminded of the conversation I had with Valka the night I found him on the cliff. Shaking my head and smiling, I nod to him to continue.

"They, uh, my dad he.. My mom was unaccustomed to him being there, to me. She dropped some of the food when he tried to help her and went to fill some water. And my dad, uh, my dad.." he trails off, and I can tell he's trying to his hardest not to just burst.

"It's okay, babe." I say softly and kiss him again. Reassuring him that I am here to stay, no matter what. He sighs and smiles.

"My dad, he started to whistle a tune that made her freeze. And then he, he started to, uh. He started to sing, Astrid. My father, Chief Stoick the Vast, started to sing. And eventually, they were singing, together. And dancing. It was, it was perfect. I replay it in my mind every night." He stammers as my face softens. I hadn't heard the whole story, lest by his perspective, and only knew bits of the song.

"What was he singing" I ask softly, I want him to continue.

"Don't laugh." He says sheepishly and I press my forehead to his and nod.

"Promise." I reassure him and he nods with me, then he starts the hum, closing his eyes. I can just see him playing it out in his own mind.

"Hmmm hmm hmm hm hmm hmm hmm, hmmm hmm hmm hmm hm… I'd swim and sail, on savage seas, with never a fear of drowning. And gladly ride, the waves of life, if you will marry me. No scorching sun, nor freezing cold, will stop me on my journey. If you would promise me your heart, and love me for eternity." He starts, and I feel a heft on my heart as I smile. I see the smile crest his face as he relives the memory.

"My dearest one, my darling dear, your mighty words astound me. But I've no need for mighty deeds when I feel you arms around me. But I would bring you rings of gold, I'd even sing you poetry. And I would keep you from all harm if you would stay besides me" He continues, taking a breath as I can almost picture them dancing together in my own head.

"I have no use for rings of gold, I care not for your poetry, I only want your hand to hold. I only want you near me. To love to kiss to sweetly hold, for the Dancing and the Dreaming. Through all life's sorrows and delights, I'll keep your laugh inside me. I'll swim and sail on savage seas with never a fear of drowning. I'd gladly ride the waves of life and you will marry me." He finishes, finally opening his eyes and gazing into mine.

I didn't notice until just then that a tear had made its way down my own cheek and was caught by his finger as he pulls me in for a kiss.

"And then… he was gone." He says quietly against my lips, his voice breaking. "It wasn't fair. None of it was fair." He continues and I let him.

"I know, Hiccup."

"It wasn't even that I needed to step into being a Chief after the talk. It was. That was the happiest I've ever seen him, he looked like he was completed. Like a hole in his heart he always hid was finally filled and he could genuinely smile. I would've gladly taken the Chiefing chair and title and let him and my mom retire. Just to spend the rest of their days together." Hiccup vents. He's needed to get this off his chest.

"It's okay, babe. What happened, happened. We can't change it. We can change how we grow from it." I say softly and he nods, looking me square in the eyes.

"I know, and it's made me understand just what I have with you, and what I never want to lose." He adds, before pulling me in for another kiss.

"Me neither, Hiccup." I confirm softly. "Come on, let's go for a early morning ride on Toothless. Stormfly is back in her stable, it can be just us. We can catch the sunrise." I add with a smile and he nods.

**********************************

I know one thing for sure, if there was one person I could trust, after everything we've been through. It was Astrid. I never really vent like that, and I've never told anyone else about that day in the caves with my parents. Gobber was there, sure, but Gobber is Gobber. Though the prospect of a dark ride with Astrid in the morning, watching the sunrise together as we soar above the clouds. I couldn't think of a better way to start the day.

Of course, it didn't take much convincing to get Toothless to go along with it and minutes later, we were soaring high in the sky. The amount of ground, or sea, Toothless could cover in minutes was incredible. And feeling Astrid wrap her arms around my waste and bury her face into my back was amazing.

Toothless settling in for a comfortable glide, the air currents keeping us in the air. We had no direction, no mission. It was just us. I glanced back to her and smiled. "So, uh, what brought on the Daggers?" I asked and I felt her shift uncomfortably.

"I just, I never got you a betrothal gift. I never knew what to get, I still don't." I heard her answer behind me, and I felt warmer.

"I told you last time, you already got me the greatest gift I could ever ask for, you." I confirm, taking a hand off Toothless's saddle and cuppings hers as they tighten their embrace around me.

"I know, I know. I just wanted to show you that your worth it to me." She answers shakily and I can only shake my head with a smile. "Remember when I got poisoned, what we said then, it's truer now than ever. I can't imagine a world without you in it." She adds.

"Me neither."

"What about you, you already gave me the betrothal gift your father gave your mom. What's with this new one?" She asks and I shrug.

"Same, I guess. I wanted to show you that you were worth it. I wanted to give you something unique, something from me. Something you could wear with pride as we fly together." I explain

"And I will Hiccup. I love it."

"And I love the daggers. I'd be lost without you, Astrid. I rely on you, probably more than a Chief should." I admit with a sigh and I just feel her squeeze.

"Impossible. We're not married yet, but I will always support you, Hiccup. You need advice, tactics or even someone to punch Snotlout." She says and we chuckle. "Seriously, babe. I've got your back."

"Literally, it would seem" I jest prompting her to bury her face into my back and I feel her nod amid the flight. "Thank you." I say, leaning into Toothless and whispering. "Keep it steady, bud." And I hear him purr in acknowledgement as she leans in.

Locking Toothless's tail in place so he can guide comfortably, I tug at her embrace and feel her loosen as I unlatch my leg and spin around on Toothless's saddle, now gazing into her eyes I wrap my arms around her.

"Uh, Hiccup? Isn't this a little dangerous?" She questions as I feel her arms snake back around me and burying her face in my chest.

"We'll be fine. It's a nice soft night, no storm clouds or the like in sight. I've locked his tail wing so he can just carry us softly on the wind. Besides, it's not often I have the opportunity to look into your eyes from several hundred feet in the sky like this." My finger finding her chin and tipping it up so she looks to me.

Straightening her posture, she comes eye level and smiles as I pull her in for a kiss. It was perfect.

For the first time in recent history, we didn't have an enemy to worry about, we didn't have a mission to accomplish or a threat to face. We had our sorrows and our daily lives, such as they had become. But most importantly, we had each other. Feeling her lips press to mine, her arms snake around my back with mine around hers as it brings us closer together. My back to the cold wind, shielding her from it allowing us to just enjoy each other's presence.

I've loved this woman for as long as I can remember; and I'm not sure when she started loving me back. But one thing I was sure of is that I will live for this woman, I will be better for her and only leave her when it's my time for Valhalla. And even there, I'll wait to meet with her again and live with her for eternity.


	5. The Song

If there was one thing Vikings new how to do, it was throw a celebration and not clean up after themselves before turning in for the night. That meant it would be a busy day for Hiccup. By the time we landed, the sun was nearing cresting the horizon and the first sounds of the roosters were sounding. The village would slowly start coming to life and it'd be a day of catch-up.

I made it back to my hut after bidding him a good day and found Stormfly nestled in her pen. Taking some fresh chicken meat, I roused her from her sleep and fed her a healthy breakfast before taking to the skies. It has become customary for us to share a morning flight around the island, with just us. And while I wouldn't trade it for almost anything, I still wish I could spend it with him too. Responsibilities get in the way sometimes, but that's okay. He has the responsibilities of a Chief, not just to me.

Besides, I have my own things to worry about today. First person I needed to track down was Valka, which isn't hard. She's either with the Dragons or with Hiccup helping him throughout the day. As luck would have it, she was with the Dragons, leading a flock of dragons around the island on Cloudjumper. Perfect time to talk.

Circling Stormfly into the flock, I gain on her and level out next to her. It doesn't take her long to notice that one of the dragons in her flock had another rider and I heard her laugh.

"Hello, my dear Astrid. How are you and Stormfly on this beautiful morning?" She asks, rather cheerfully.

"Great! Just finished a morning flight. You seem like you're in a good mood!" I questioningly comment with a half-smile and she nods. Slowly she has Cloudjumper move closer to Stormfly and sits down on the giant dragon's back.

"Ah-ha, yes. It's Hiccup. I halfway expected him to hole up in his hut today, locking in his own mind thinking about Stoick. More than a few of us had expected it, to be honest. But he was still the first one in the Hall this morning, helping reorganize it and clean. He almost seemed like a new person." Valka admits and, in my heart, I can't help but feel warm as I smile.

"He's stronger than most give him credit for." I say softly and hear her chuckle.

"Oh, I know. He's my son. Speaking of, how was your flight?" She asks and my breath hitches

"Uh, great. Stormfly really likes stretching her wings in the morning."

"I meant the flight before that, Astrid." She states with a motherly gaze and smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Come now, I may not be as spry as I once was but I'm not blind. I saw Toothless take off in the wee early morning hours last night as the Moon crested the high point. And I saw two riders." She says, stopping her walk and pressing a hand to my shoulder. "So?"

"It was good. Really good." I admit. No sense lying to his mom. She only smiles and nods before resuming her stride. As I move to catch up, I reach out then grab my arm with my hand as I walk besides her. "Speaking of, I have a question, if you don't mind… it might be considered, uh, personal?" I state

"Nothing is too personal from my future daughter-in-law" Valka confidently says mid stride and I gulp.

"Ha, ha ha. Yeah. Um. I wanted to know more about that song. The one you and Stoick shared." I say, my voice trailing off, unsure how she'd react. There is a long pause during her walk where I almost want to run away but she lets loose a long breath and nods.

"Why don't you join me for lunch, Astrid. I've even got some chicken for Stormfly at my hut. Come on." Valka says and motions me over to the direction of her hut.

After settling Stormfly and Cloudjumper, Valka boiled some fish and served it with some yak milk and we ate in silence for a few minutes. I'll be honest, it was a bit awkward at first. I've never shared a meal with just her before and I couldn't tell where she was going with it. She had a certain presence about her that could be intimidating. After cleaning up the food plates and refilling the yak milk cups, she settled at the table and nodded.

"I noticed you have a new piece of accessory." She says, pointing to the Deadly Nadder inscribed metal piece. I half smiled, wondering if she'd notice the merged house crests. And, of course, she did. "The insignia on it is beautiful too. Hiccup?" She asked and I nodded. "Well, the boy is nothing if not creative. I saw him with a new dagger on his right-hand gauntlet. I thought it odd, he usually doesn't do weapons, but I didn't ask." She stated, taking another drink and looking at me. Why do I even need to talk, the awareness of this woman is down-right creepy. Though, it did make me smile knowing he already had it worn.

"Yes. They were our own, unique, betrothal gifts to each other. We each had the mind of doing something just for each other. Not just something that's been handed down. Speaking of" I paused and reached into my knapsack and pulled out his original betrothal gift. The one Stoick gifted Valka. "I wanted to give this back to you, to remember Stoick. I was going to last night, but got, um, sidetracked." I admit with a sheepish grin. She shakes her head and closes my hand around the gift.

"Stoick gave that to Hiccup to give to you. Its yours now." She says with a soft smile before leaning back. "So, you wanted to know about the song?" She asks and I nod. "How much do you know about it?"

"Not much. Just that it was the last thing Hiccup saw you and Stoick do together before, well. And he sang it to me last night with his eyes closed. Like he was reliving that scene in his mind." I say.

"We wrote that song together. We each had our own lines, our own versus. We sang and danced it at our wedding in front of the whole village." Valka says softly. "It was our song. Most Berkian couples have their own song. Some less rhythmic than others." She chuckles and I internally groan, I could only imagine what a Jorgenson or Thorsten song was like. Made me shudder.

"How? How did you write it?" I ask uncertainly, looking away.

"We followed our hearts, dear. As I suggest you do when you talk to Hiccup about this later." She says with a smile.

"I- What? How did you?" I stammer and she just chuckled.

"I'm a mother." She answers simply, placing her hand on the table and prompting me to bring mine to hers. "Just follow your heart, Astrid. I have no doubt in my mind that Hiccup has thought about this like you are now. He just does not know how to ask. Viking men aren't always praised for their sensitivity." Valka says, cupping my hand.

"It's one of the many things that I love most about him." I admit.

"I know. Show him. And don't be afraid to come to me for advice, but ultimately, Astrid, you will need to follow your own heart. Not what someone else thinks you should do or say. Both you and Hiccup deserve each other exactly as you are, not what others think you need to be." Valka says. "I can make a suggestion though." She asks and I nod. "Go on another flight tonight, just the two of you. Let your voice find itself on the wind with each other. And take Stormfly, your dragons are intuitive, I'm sure you'll find they can be of great benefit in these situations." She says and I smile.

Hiccup was right about Valka for sure. I wouldn't get any alone time with him until tonight, so tonight it would be. Gives me plenty of time to think some things up.

*********************************

Another long day of doing chiefly stuff was nearing an end. The Great Hall was cleaned, the armory resorted and the Dragon Pens under the island were fixed up and cleaned. That and a few minor issues around the village. It seems in the passing years, the twins have not wavered in their undying support for Loki, and that can be problematic at the best of times.

Luckily, our time at the Edge got most of that out of their systems, but there are still occasions where they got a bit carried away. Shockingly, they kept their shenanigans to an unseen minimum on the one-month anniversary. Guess even they have a degree of sympathy underneath.

Thankfully, Odin willing, these past few years of trials our people have faced has brought us closer together. Even the Jorgensen's were less antagonistic than normal, and I remember a time when Snotlout said he wouldn't live at Berk with me as Chief. Brings a chuckle out of me as the day winds down and the sun begins its descent across the horizon. I figured we had maybe thirty minutes of solid daylight left. Enough time for a ride on Toothless, maybe with Astrid, if I could find her. She and my mother had both been mostly missing throughout the day. Though my mother had helped me at the Great Hall this morning.

As I near my hut, I hear the familiar caw of a Nadder outside my hut, playing with Toothless and I smile. She's certainly no stranger anymore. Opening the door, I find her sitting at the table doodling something in a notebook. She'd started carrying one in recent times.

"Hey babe, welcome home" She says, looking up with a smile and honestly the sound of her saying that to me was like music.

"I'm glad to find you here, and that you'd call it home." I admit, pulling up a chair and sitting next to her at the table as she closes the notebook and clasps hands with me.

"Anywhere you are is home for me, Hiccup." She says and leans in, pecking me on the lips as I grip her waist and pull her in closer, turning it from a peck to a full-fledged kiss. She didn't fight it and just smiled into it and after a few seconds, to recover our breath she laughed. "Where did that come from?"

"I'm just really glad you're here." I answer and she smiles

"And here is where I'll stay. I, uh, hope you don't mind." She pauses and gestures above her towards where my bedroom is and I can see a knapsack of her belongings.

"Are you sure?" I ask, looking at her in the eyes. "It's not really traditional to live together before we marry."

"Nothing about anything you have done to Berk is traditional, Hiccup. And it's not, living, yet. Just, staying here. Most of my stuff is still at my parents hut but, you're who I want to be with and" she pauses, looking away as I can see her cheeks turn rosary red.

"And?"

"And sleep next too." She finishes, looking back to me with a smile. I smile and pull her closer, so now she's sitting on my lap as I embrace her.

"You're welcome here with me." I say softly and kiss her a couple times softly on her neck as she lets out a long, happy sigh and maybe even a slight moan. Pulling away but keeping her close, I nod to the notebook. "So, working on anything special?" I ask playfully and she smiles and nods.

"You could say that, I'm having a tough time making it work in my head." She admits, resting her head on my shoulder.

"What is it? Can I ask or is it a secret?" I question with a smile, brushing her hair gently and kissing her on the forehead.

"It's no secret for you. I, um, I've been thinking about that song you sang last night." She says softly and I let out a light laugh.

"Not sure that I really sung it, but yeah." I sheepishly answer.

"Well, I've been thinking about" She starts but trails off, looking down but keeping her head on my shoulder as her embrace tightens. "About…" she mutters again. "About our own… song." She finished and my heart skipped a beat. Surely, I've thought about it.

The last time I've heard her sing was when we encountered Garff the Deathsong Dragon. And ever since seeing my dad and mother dance to that song, I've wanted us to do the same. But we've never really danced. Well, that's not true. Back on the Edge, she started to help train me in fighting and that sort of became a dance for us, then there's our dragon flights…

"Hiccup?" Her voice breaks me out of my train of thought.

"Astrid. I, uh, yes. I've thought of that too. I just wasn't sure how to bring it up to you, not that we've ever danced together either. But, I'd be lying if I said I haven't dreamed about it. We haven't really had a reason to sing or anything like that since Garff was a hatchling." I admit and she traces her hand over my chest and nods.

"I miss that dragon." She sighs

"Maybe one day soon, we can go see if he's still out there. Just the two, er, four of us." I offer and practically feel her heart leap.

"I'd love that." She says, lifting her head from my shoulder and pressing her lips to mine.

This kiss isn't one we break quickly as my right arm snakes around her back and my left cups her neck. She resituates so she's sitting on my lap, facing me, our lips pressed together. I feel her tongue trace my lower lip and my lips part, allowing our tongues to meet for probably the second time. This time, though, there was less apprehension and more appreciation

When we finally break, the fire from the fireplace flickers as we both catch our breath and I laugh.

"And, uh, where did that one come from?" I ask with a smile

"I just wanted to. No other reason, really." She shrugs and smiles.

"Good enough for me." I respond and reach for her notebook. "So, do we want to put our heads together and come up with our own song and dance?" I say, pressing my forehead to hers.

"Thought you'd never ask." She answers and kisses me one more time before resituating again, still on my lap but so we could both look through the book. I won't even try to lie, I never want her to leave my arms again. Her warmth, her smell, her presence, just her, is enough for me to feel at peace with everything.


	6. Songs and Traditions

A part of me always knew of that artistic side of her, though its not something many others would notice or even care to see. This woman who is admirable for her physical prowess and tactical mind also has an artistic side, a soft side. She can speak with words just as well as she can speak with an ax and it really shows in recent days.

I had no idea she could write, too. No inkling that she could form poetry out of nothing, though it could be that I am bias towards anything she does. It could also be that I've barely scratched the surface of her, and I look forward to exploring in the coming days.

Feeling her sit on my lap and write in a notebook with my arms around her as we bounce ideas off one another. Try for different tones and verses, different words and choruses. I'm glad to have her in my arms as we write this together.

"Sing it again, babe?" She says softly and I smile. Reciting the song I heard my parents sing again as I nuzzle into her neck. I can't see her face but I can feel her smile. We've been working at it for a couple hours, I'd missed my sunset flight with Toothless but the Night Fury was well aware as to why and didn't seem to complain.

"I think this follows that tune." She says softly as I finish the last cord. We've been trying to make it match with my parents' tune.

"What about your parents' song. Do you want to ask them if they have one, or if we want to incorporate it?" I ask, gently kissing her neck, causing her to giggle as she shakes her head.

"It'd mean starting over and honestly, I think I like this one." She replies, leaning back into my chest and holding up the notebook. "Want to give it a try?" She asks, turning her head to look at me and I nod. Puckering my lips, I start with the whistle my dad had done, for it felt right.

"I'll fly and ride all day and night, without a need for stopping." I begin, closing my eyes and bobbing my head to the whistle. "And gladly soar along in life, if you will soar besides me."

"No gusting wind, nor freezing cold, will stop me on my longest flight. If you will promise me your heart and love me for eternity." I whisper in her ear and I feel her coo.

"My dearest one, my darling dear, your offer sounds so tempting. For I would only soar all night, if you were soaring with me. Up upon the clouds so high, I feel your arms around me" Astrid's voice carries as I squeeze her gently.

"Oh, I will show you a world in flight, and love you for eternity. I will catch you if you fall, and wrap my arms around thee." I answer with a smile.

"That is all I wish from thee" She begins as we both continue together.

"To love, to kiss, to sweetly hold. Through the Soaring and the Mysteries. To feel yours arms around me so amid the sorrows and the blessings. I will travel through the stars all night to keep you besides me."

"Through all of life's mysteries, there's only one thing that I know, and it's that I'll love you for eternity." We finish together, her still leaning back on my chest as she turns her head and lowers the notebook, now looking into my eyes.

"I love it." She says softly and presses her lips to mine again.

Breaking our lips apart gently and resting my forehead to hers, I smile. "Me too. It was mostly you."

"No, it was us." She restates, placing her hand on my cheek.

"Now we just need to work on our dance." I jokingly whisper, our lips closing together as I see her eyes half shut.

"Yes, we do. For now," she pauses and presses our lips together again briefly before pulling back. "Let's just enjoy this." She says, barely above a whisper as the fire from the fireplace cracks again.

"There's nowhere I'd rather be" I whisper into her ear, my arms wrapping around her hips and resting on her stomach as she places her hands on mine.

"Nowhere?" She asks softly and I laugh lightly and nod.

"Nowhere. Not the Hall, the Forge, not the Edge. I wouldn't even give this moment up right now to go flying. Not unless you were with me. And even then, I'd rather just hold you in my arms in front of a fire." I confirm softly and feel her tighten her grip.

"I'd gladly fly all day and night just to keep your arms around me" she says with a soft smile, her eyes still lightly closed, her voice following that same tune.

"To love, and kiss, and sweetly hold through the soaring and the mysteries" I answer, kissing her neck. I can see the smile on her face as she laughs.

"Should we write new verses for each other?" She says softly and I shake my head

"I see no reason why any verse has to be mine or yours, they can all just be ours." I answer and I hear her playfully groan.

"Must you always come back at me with a perfect, albeit cheesy, response?"

"Yup" I answer softly and kiss her neck again.

"Mmm, fine." She utters softly before shifting slightly on my lap. "Hiccup?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to go for another flight at midnight, but until then, can we…" she pauses and looks up at me. "Move?" She finishes meekly and I nod, letting down my feet, I wrap her in my arms and start moving towards the stairs. "Hey, I can walk, ya know?" She playfully teases and I shrug.

"But then I'd need to let you go and, I know it has to happen eventually but not yet." I whisper and see her blush and groan at the same time, which makes me laugh.

Setting her down on my bed, she sits up starts undressing as I do, and we climb into the bed in naught but our undergarments. Facing each other, I brush her hair out of her face as she gazes into my eyes and presses her lips to mine again.

This kiss, like the last, is anything but innocent as our tongues find each other much more swiftly and she rolls on top of me. My arms snaking around her waist, keeping her close as our mostly bare bodies touch. Our lips barely parting as our tongues dance and our faces shift, drinking in each other's presence.

I could tell one thing, our relationship was evolving and growing; and we certainly were not the kids we were when it started. We may barely be adults, and still learning about each other, but something else had changed too, we were explorers and adventures. Challenging tradition and the norm were somethings we both excelled at; and this would be no different.

**********************************

Yet another dream come true, and many more to follow. I remember when I was giving him a hard time when Dagur and Mala were so affectionate, and he wasn't. Maybe that sparked his more affectionate side, because if there was yet another thing Hiccup was amazing at, it was that. He did not care about himself, or what others thought about him. He cared about others, and about me; about what I think of him.

I can't really tell when we actually broke our lips apart, it happened a couple times for mere seconds so we could catch our breath but didn't last long. That was the most intense it had been between us before; my heart is still racing, and I feel a flustered heat about me. I feel like I could have kept going, I wish we never fell asleep.

We are playing a new and dangerous game, challenging traditions like this. It was a different thing, though. Hiccup was Chief, and it is not like this is the first time we've gone against the norm; nor is it honestly, considering everything that's happened, really a big deal. Sleeping under the same roof together before being married was taboo enough, sleeping in the same bed with naught but our undergarments was another line. How much longer before we crossed that final line and just gave in to each other?

Honestly, I would cross that line right now if Hiccup asked me too. But he won't, he's Chief, he's shy, he's thoughtful and caring, never advantageous or even remotely ruthless; he's Hiccup. If I really wanted that, and I knew he did, I would have to make that move; but I'm not sure I can.

I feel his breaths as my head rests on his bare chest; he is certainly not the scrawny kid he was before, nor a meathead Viking like half the village. He has the hands and arms of a blacksmith and the body of a rider; leaned from the adventures and training we have been on... On top of it all, he has grown.

I have watched him change through the years, watched him turn from shy and awkward boy to confident and sensitive man.

Smiling as I feel his breathe raise his chest, his hand moves and finds my hip and I scrunch closer, still mostly on top of him. Closing my eyes and a slight bite of my lower lip, I kiss his chest softly as I hear him start to hum the tune we made. Maybe I woke him, maybe he was already awake. I didn't care as I placed a hand on his chest and felt him tighten his grip around my waist.

"It's nearly midnight" I hear his voice say softly and I glance towards the Toothless sized hole in his ceiling. I can see the moon nearing its crest and I nod.

"I'm honestly having doubts now" I begin, purposefully teasing him with my words but I don't let his mind wander too far as I add. "I could stay like this all night and skip the flight." I finish, my finger slowly tracing his chest. I hear him mumble an acknowledgement and I smile.

"Hiccup?" I ask softly.

"Astrid?" He answers.

"I feel like there's something else we need to talk about" I say, looking up at him as he gazes down at me. His beautiful green eyes seemingly glowing from the moonlight.

"Hmm?" He softly encourages me to continue.

"Are we—well, do you think we'll be able to… wait?" I ask softly, not sure how else to word it and suddenly feeling an asinine number of butterflies in my stomach.

"Wait?" He questions and I groan. He's going to make me say it.

"For marriage." I finish and look back at him. A moment of silence later I shake my head. "You know, for this." I add, my finger tracing his chest again.

"It's tradition." He answers unconvincingly, and I roll entirely on top of him and look him square in the eyes.

"And since when have we followed anything based on tradition." I question, looking down at him. I don't know what I'm looking for from him. Whether I want him to give in and take me or stay true to tradition and deny me. I don't know which would make me happier, though a thought in the back of my mind suggests the former versus the latter.

"What do you want, Astrid?" He asks softly, pulling my head down and letting our foreheads reach. He never breaks eye contact as he looks into my eyes.

"I, I don't know." I admit. "I mean, I think I know but" I begin to add before I'm cut off by him rolling us over and him suddenly resting on top of me, his lips gently touching mine.

"I, uh. I'm not sure about a lot of things, Astrid. Not what tomorrow will hold, not the future." He begins, his voice shakily speaking against my lips. "I know, I don't want to bring a child into the world while there are still Dragon Trappers out there." He says slowly and I feel my heart deflate a little bit. He was right, of course he was right. I suddenly felt the full pressure of his lips briefly as he looks down at me and adds. "I also know that I would break this tradition if you wanted me too. And that I'm sure we could avoid bringing a child into the world until we were ready."

"Hiccup." I say softly, pressing my hand to his cheek. He has a look in his eyes I only see at times like these. When our lips are locked, and our tongues are engaged. He's always been so careful about not letting his hands drift. Maybe we could break this tradition…

"Astrid?" He questions softly. "If I've said to much or gone to far…" He says shakily and I just pull him down on me and kiss him again.

Breaking the kiss, I nod. "Hiccup, it doesn't need to be now. It can wait for the right time, but it does not need to wait for the traditional time. I" I pause, looking away and biting my lip. Squinting my eyes, I let loose a sigh and look back to him. "I do want you, Hiccup. In that way." I admit quietly and see him smile. He rolls onto his side and prompts me to do the same so we can look at each other.

"I'm glad. When the time is right, then. Maybe" He pauses and rolls his head cornily. "Maybe… soon." He finishes softly with a smile, and I smiled too and nodded. "For now, how about a dance in the sky?" He suggests and I nod.

"Perfect." I say softly and kiss him again. We both rise and get suited up for a midnight dance in the sky with our dragons.


	7. Starlight Dance

There was something to be said for falling in love with someone you are used to going into battle with. People grow closer when constantly going through harm's way together and coming out on top of it together. With everything we have been through in the past few years, from the Red Death, Dagur and Alvin, Viggo and Ryker, and Krogan and Johann. It's hard to believe how much time as passed and how much closer we've grown because of it.

Our dragons are no different, where once they struggled to maintain a formation, they could not dance in the sky like a unified flock of varying dragons. Stormfly and Toothless were no exceptions, if anything, they were the examples. The amount of time Hiccup and I have spent on missions together, relying on each other. Where one might not always be able to rely on the twins or Snotlout, Hiccup and I could always trust each other.

The wind is cold as it rushes by my face, Stormfly climbing the night sky with Toothless and Hiccup next to us. We did not wear our full rider's suit, and it was intentional. As I glance over to Toothless and Hiccup, I notice him turn and look at me. We wanted to be able to see each other. He smiles and tugs on Toothless who does a slow spiral; bringing him overtop of Stormfly from her right to her left. For the briefest of moments in the sky, as I look up, are faces are inches apart as the distance quickly grows when the spiral finishes.

Grinning, I pat Stormfly on her neck and she kicks it into gear, speeding up and closing her wings on the descent. Hiccup and Toothless were right there with us and the familiar sound of the Night Fury's wings cutting through the air as the collapsed. Both are dragons spiraling down towards the ocean at a matched speed. I look up and see Hiccup just a few feet from me amid our descent and reach up to him, he follows suit and our hands interlock as our dragons spiral down. Dangerous, yes; one wrong move from our dragons could rip us of our dragons. This was a level of trust we shared not only with each other, but with out dragons.

We must've been flying up there for an hour or more with the cold because when we finally landed, I could hardly feel my face. Over the years, Hiccup and I had found places on the island that only we knew about. Places that we could disappear to before he became Chief and just enjoy the day together. I've missed it more than I care to admit out loud. He needed my support, and I needed his.

So, we couldn't spend aimless hours together just enjoying the days passing, we always found time for each other. Even when he said he wanted to be alone or needed to think. That was more for the others, not for me. We do not need to speak; we don't need to fill the silence with small talk to feel each other's presence. Even now, sitting back against Toothless's tail as he coos and Stormfly nestles, us both just sitting in each other's arms staring at the starlight.

Glancing over to him, I see the most peaceful smile on his face as he gazes upwards. Resting my head on his shoulder, I feel his rest on mine as our arms cross each other's backs, and our free hands interlocking. It was a different feeling than it had been in the past; now our time, while selective, was unlimited.

"Astrid?" I heard his voice softly speak as he gazes up at the sky. I softly tighten my grip on his hand and hear him sigh.

"Hiccup?" I answer and he brings our hands up to his lips and kisses the back of my hand.

"I just want you to know, I don't regret a thing. Having you here with me, its more than I dared hope when I was younger. I know I'm not exactly the easiest to deal with sometimes. Especially after…" his voice trails off, but I know what he's talking about, and he doesn't need to say it.

"Hiccup." I begin, and rotate, tossing a leg over his so I'm sitting on his lap, looking at him. "No one, not even me, can begin to imagine what you've been through. But none of it, and I mean none of it, reflects anything you could have done differently." I place a hand on his chest and smile. "The good and the bad, right now, you and I, we're right were we should be." I finish, resting my head on his chest as I feel his arms wrap around my waist and hold me closer.

"Where do you come up with this stuff?" I hear him whisper softly with a light chuckle and I just shrug softly.

"It's a gift."

"Just one of the many that you have." He answers softly, kissing me on the cheek as I blush and smile.

"Don't start with that; this isn't about me." I whisper, feigning annoyance and not lifting my head from his chest.

"No; it's about us." He answers, brushing the hair from my face and gently caressing my cheek. I hated it when it did that, not like, truly hated it. Hated that it would instantly diffuse me, even if I were only being playful. Hiccup had been paying more attention than he admits; and he knew how to make me melt. "It's about the things you do, say, and feel; and what they do to me." He continues and even as I try to groan at his corniness, I can't fight the smile.

"It's about how you, Astrid Hofferson, someday to be Haddock, drives me to be who I am." He adds and my heart skips. Astrid Hofferson Haddock had a nice ring to it, to be honest. And that was one tradition I didn't mind following. Sitting back up, still straddling him, I smiled and pressed my lips to his. He always finds ways to give me butterflies.

Breaking the kiss briefly, resting my forehead against his with our noses barely touching I shake my head softly and bite my lip. "You seriously need to stop doing that." I teasingly whisper.

"Stop doing what?" He questions with a smile as he brushes our noses together.

"Saying things like that." I answer, looking in his eyes with a smile.

"Like what, specifically?" He teases. "How just being near you can make me forget all the troubles of the world? Or how your beautiful sapphire eyes seem to glisten in the moonlight?" He adds, he's doing it on purpose as I groan. "How you make me a better person?" He continues and I shake my head, rolling my eyes before pressing my lips to his again.

This time it's his tongue tracing my lips and as they part, our tongues meet again, and I press my body closer to his. After nearly a minute, we finally release, both nearly out of breath and our breathing is heavy as I smile and nod.

"I said, stop it." I tease and he only shakes his head.

"If saying it more makes that happen more, then that'll be the only way to shut me up." He answers playfully and I smile.

"I can live with that." I whisper, our lips brushing together before meeting once more.

*********************************

Things were certainly changing, progressing, growing. On Berk, around the world, between us. Where once the slightest thought of holding hands or a peck on the lips was uncharted territory, we've grown bolder. Physical exploration of your betrothed was something usually saved until your wedding night, where you and your betrothed would find a secluded area on the island and finally give in to each other entirely. Away from the ears or eyes of your neighbors.

Not our wedding night yet, and we certainly weren't crossing any big lines just yet, but we might be walking them. I say we might be, no we certainly are. I've grown quite familiar with the feeling of her body pressed up to mine, the smell of her hair and the taste of her tongue. The hue in her eyes when we need to break for a breath as we gaze at each other. The soft sound of her breathing as she regains her breathe before pressing her lips to mine again.

If there was one custom that I would not dare cross, it was the way we Berkian's treated consent and boundaries. I remember the time Throk came to the Edge as though he was going to carry Ruffnut away against her will. It came from an innocent, albeit naïve, standpoint on his part. One he was quick to change when he learned of our ways. In some ways, he became more of a gentleman than someone like Snotlout could ever hope to be.

If it were within my power, I'd never let us part on this cloudless, star-filled night. Feeling her body pressed to mine as our lips lock and our tongues dance. Her hands cup my face as mine rest on her hips, her still straddling me from before. It was odd at first, but over the course of a few minutes its like our bodies knew what they wanted before our brains did. I felt her slowly rock her hips with each passing touch of our tongues, my own hands felt like they were being guided by her body as they moved with her hips.

I felt a pressure that was newer to me, well, at least in this way. Sure, I've felt this pressure before, when waking up or going to sleep, randomly in the day but luckily most of those times I was wearing my riding suit and it kept any visible sight at bay. But this was different, this didn't just happen, it happened because of her. This was another line we were walking, and while we were still clothed on this plateau, we were one step shy of completely breaking tradition.

"Hiccup." I hear her whisper against my lips as she continues to rock, she must've felt something too because she didn't stop. As I look into her eyes, there is a longing that I've not seen from her before. The moonlight glistened of the hue of her eyes that made it seem like we were staring into each other's souls. This is a secluded place, dragons aside; but was it the right time? Our bodies seemed to think so.

Pressing my lips to hers again, I slow her rock and can feel her legs shake softly. "Astrid." I answer in a soft whisper. "Is this the right time?" I ask softly, my hands gliding up from her hips to her ribs and then back down, passing her hips to her thighs, then back up, resting back on her hips. I see the softest of smiles curl on her lips.

"Close." She answers softly. Resting her head on my chest she lets out a sigh. "I don't suppose you could take the day. Probably selfish of me to ask." She whispers and I laugh lightly.

"You're one of the most selfless people I know. You've not complained about my focuses being on being Chief or to the Riders, even though I know you've had your frustrations." I whisper, stroking her hair.

"I'm sure, between my mother and Gobber, I can find a way to spare a day just for us." I finish and she lets out another breath.

"You don't need to do that." She mutters and I stop her, lifting her chin up and looking at her.

"I want too." I whisper and kiss her lightly on the lips. "Come on." I add, tugging at her to get up.

As she stands, I take her hand and start walking in a circle, orbiting our hands as I start to whistle. I can see her begin to blush and look away as I stop. With my free hand, gesturing towards the sky while looking in her eyes. "I'll fly and ride, all day and night, without a need for stopping." I pull her closer and spin her so her back is against my chest as our arms are locked. "And gladly soar along in life, if you will soar besides me." Gripping just one of her hands, she spins out of my embrace and looks back to me. "No gusting wind, nor freezing cold will stop me on my longest flight." Bringing her closer to me so our noses touch. "If you will promise me your heart and love me for eternity."

Twirling in my arms, her voice carries in the wind. "My dearest one, my darling dear, your offer sounds so tempting." She says, prompting us to circle again, our one pair of hands never breaking. "For I would only soar all night if you were soaring with me." I tug her in as she lets her body move and find its way back into my embrace. "Up upon the clouds so high, I feel your arms around me."

"Oh, I will show you a world in flight, and love you for eternity." I whisper on her neck before twirling her out and tapping my feet. "I will catch you if you fall and wrap my arms around thee." I answer with a smile as she taps her own feet with mine.

"That is all I wish from thee" She smiles as we both sing with our feet tapping. "To love, to kiss to sweetly hold. Through the soaring and the mysteries." Tugging her in, our chests pressing together. "To feel your arms around me, amid the sorrows and the blessings, I will travel through the stars all night to keep you safe besides me." We say together, backing out of each other's arms as we circle one last time. "Through all of life's mysteries, there's only one thing that I know," we say together as our hands clasp and we move closer. "and it's that I'll love you for eternity." We finish, wrapping our arms around each other and pressing our bodies together.

We stand like that for a moment, breathing softly, each with our own smile. The song may need some work here or there, but it was ours. It was one we can do from the backs of our dragons, or the heels of our feet. And while we never really practiced a dance, that felt natural. To move with her like that.

"We changed a couple words that time." She whispered and I smiled. "But it worked." She finished.

"Yeah it did." I whisper and feel her shiver. "Come on, there's a nice fur-lined bed with our name on it." I add and she just smiles.

"You read my mind." She answers softly.

Luckily, it was a short but cold flight back on our dragons. Landing at my hut, we go back inside. As she heads upstairs to the bed, I relight the glowing embers of the firepit for some added warmth and make my way up with her. She's already shedding her clothing and climbing in the bed, and it's probably the first time I've watched her from this angel. She is gorgeous, beautiful hair and amazing body. It was a wonder I was lucky enough to call her mine. Her laugh brought me out of my train of thought.

"Well, going to stare or join me?"

"Just… savoring the sight. You are beautiful, Astrid." I say as I shed my own clothing and climb in with her. She places a finger on my lips.

"What did I say about saying things like that?" She teases

"Hmm, can't remember. What did I say about making me stop?" I playfully answer and I see her scrunch her brow and smile before pressing her lips to mine again.

"That this is the only way to make you stop." She whispers against my lips.

"Mm, but does this really stop me or encourage me?" I tease and she shrugs.

"Either way, it gets us" she pauses, pressing our foreheads together "to this…" she adds softly, our lips brushing together, "point." She finishes, finally closing the gap between our lips, letting us get lost in each other's presence until sleep overtook us.


	8. The Spring

Was today really going to be the day we crossed that line? We both wanted it, Thor knows if we were not wearing clothing last night on the plateau, we might have there. And as I lay here, her soft breaths gliding across my chest, a small part of me fears the day to come. Looking down at this sleeping beauty as she rests comfortably in my arms, the last thing I wanted to do was disturb her. Feeling her warm body against mine was worth staying still and savoring those few extra minutes.

Some things are not meant to go on forever though and lying in bed is unfortunately one of them. Shifting slightly so that I can softly wiggle my way out of the bed, I hear Astrid murmur softly. She looked so peaceful and comfortable. Kissing her gently on the forehead, her eyes flutter briefly.

"Not… yet…" she mutters, and I smile. It was not even dawn yet, and first light had just barely begun filtering in.

"Just wait here." I whisper and finish climbing out of bed. Looking to Toothless who lifts his head and coos softly, I walk over and pat him softly. "Stay here bud, I'll be back soon." He nods and lowers his head back on his heat rock.

Getting dressed and heading outside, the cloudless night had vanished and there was a darker overcast that warned of a light snowfall soon. We may well see Aurvandil's Fire this year as well. I head to the Dragon Stables where I am sure my mother has already started morning feeding for the dragons. Walking the caves of the stables, I am continuously amazed at the ingenuity and adaptability of the people of Berk. These used to be Whispering Death tunnels, with a few of the larger tunnels belonging to the Screaming Death. Now turned into dragon stables of numerous sizes with countless sleeping dragons.

Sure enough, I can hear the soft hum of my mom as she walks further ahead of me with firelight and a large sack of fish. She is humming the song my dad sung to her, the same tune Astrid and I used as a base for ours. I slow my pace briefly, not having thought about what to say but unfortunately, my mother is too aware for my own good.

"Good morning, Hiccup." Her voice carries almost making me jump.

"Uh, good morning, mom."

"You're up early. Sleep well?"

"Yeah, I-uh, yeah. I'm usually up this time anyways" I stammer. Why is it harder to talk to her about some things?

"Were you looking for me or?" She pauses and turns back to me and I nod.

"Yeah, mom. I, um. I have a favor to ask." I begin, shifting slightly. She nods at me to continue and I take a breath. "Well, since being Chief, it's been hard to find time for just, ya know, Astrid and me. In the daylight. I was hoping that you would be willing to cover for me for the day." I ask with a degree of trepidation. She only chuckles and nods.

"Of course, son. Say no more." She answers and I let out a deep breath I wasn't aware I'd been holding.

"Whew, okay. Thank you. Uh, some things that might need attention today. Sven said he had something about the sheep and Mulch mentioned the Yaks yesterday. It's getting near winter, so they at least need to be okay, but we're still plenty of time away to rebuild our reserves." I pause, not noticing at first her approaching me as I stammer through my thoughts. "Uh, Spitelout and Gustav have a couple ideas that need to be turned down for the Auxiliary Riders." I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder and my mother standing in front of me.

"Hiccup, this isn't my first time helping the Chief, you know. I'll be fine. Go and enjoy your day together. I can always send a Terror Mail if things get drastic." She pauses and wraps her arm over my shoulder. "You know, there is a beautiful small and secluded spring on the island where your father brought me after our betrothal."

"Woah, mom. Way, way, way too much." I say, jumping back and waving my hands and she just laughs.

"Oh, you babes, so insecure. All I'm saying is, I'm sure it'd be a nice relaxing spot. My bones say we are expecting a light snow, maybe even Aurvandil's Fire will make an appearance tonight. Take the time, sweetie. You've both earned it. I can hold down the fort." She finishes and describes the location and I inwardly smile. That's the same spot where Toothless and I bonded after I shot him down, what irony. Giving her a hug, I rush back to my hut and see Astrid still laying in the bed. Smiling, I quietly pack up a couple bags of food, drink, and a blanket. Some towels as well, it is a Spring after all. We would be able to have a proper picnic alone this time.

Moving back up the stairs, I see her eyes flutter again as she shifts, and I climb in the bed on top of her and kiss her gently on the cheek. She shifts and mutters.

"Mmm, Hiccup?" She says softly and slowly opens her eyes and I nod, kissing her again softly on the lips this time. "I could get used to this." She says just beneath her breath.

"If you still want; I can steal you away for the day. Just us." I whisper, brushing her nose to mine and she smiles, still partially asleep but awake enough to understand.

"I do want. Do we fly?" She asks softly and I shake my head. The Spring was an easy hour plus comfortable walk on a good day, but it was secluded and safe. Plus, both Toothless and Stormfly knew its exact location should we need them, and we still had our dragon calls.

"If you're up for it, I'd like to walk. Just us. I packed a couple bags for us." I whisper and she nods.

"I'd love that." She says softly and leans her head up and kisses me. I savor the moment, just enjoying her presence, but after a moment she giggles and adds. "Hiccup, I need to be able to move before the rest of the village wakes up."

"Ah, details." I tease, before sitting back and giving her room to get up. I watch her get dressed and set up her satchel, and as she finishes dressing, I close from behind her and slowly snake my arms around her. "I'm glad we're finally getting a day." I whisper, kissing her on the cheek

"Me too. Let's go?" She motions towards the stairs and I nod, releasing her and opening a satchel of fish for Toothless.

"Hey bud, hold the fort for me. Plenty of fish for you. I'll call if I need you." I say, patting the dragon on his side as he coos in acknowledgement and nudges me away. He knew we were taking the day for ourselves.

The sun was barely cresting the horizon as the village slowly started to rouse, but by the time any degree of foot traffic starts to happen, Astrid and I were well into the inlands of Berk. No care in the world for either of us beyond each other. Would we cross that line today? Time would tell, but by how closely we walked together as the snow fell lightly on the ground, even if we didn't, we'd still be with each other.

*********************************

I can hardly remember the last time Hiccup and I had a day just to ourselves. It's been too long, the closest we got to a real day of relaxation as a couple was the sabotaged picnic by the twins when they were going for the silly record. Sure, we still explored far out places, but that usually led to more trouble like our run in with Drago and the Trappers. While Eret had changed his ways, a good number of his old associates only changed their colors.

But not like this, this was certainly a first. Just us, not even our dragons. The first time since our betrothal that we can be with just us. No twins, no Snotlout or Fishlegs. No Dragon Hunters or Flyers. No Drago or Trappers. No distractions: for Thor's sake, no one except Valka even knows where we are and the way Hiccup made it sound, she wouldn't tell a soul.

This Spring may well be known by most after the Speed Stingers, but no one ever comes out this far, ever. There was just enough foliage that made it secluded from aerial riders. With a light coating of snow, a comfortable wool blanket and fire going near the water, and his arms wrapped around me. There is literally nothing else in the world I could want more right now.

"So, what did your mom say?" I ask, gazing into the firelight as I nestle my back into his chest.

"To take our time. She even seemed to think Aurvandil's Fire would make an appearance tonight, and since the Flightmare is a thing of the past… It'd be nice to enjoy it with you." He responds. I feel his lips trace the back of my neck and I smile, closing my eyes.

For the first time in Hofferson History, I could enjoy Aurvandil's Fire without being haunted by the past. Maybe we could even have some new memories made under its glow to replace the bad. The thought made me blush a little as my hands found Hiccups and pulled them tighter around me.

So far, we'd enjoyed a peaceful morning to late morning, the snow droplets still falling. It was weird, to just be able to spend hours together and not need to worry about anything. It was also relaxing and let us talk about nothing. Just to hear each other's voices and breathes. Hiccup was rambling on about some crazy idea Spitelout and Gustav had come to him with yesterday for the Auxiliary Riders, letting me just listen and smile.

The snowfall didn't take away his thought of a dip in the spring water, which this one was usually rather warm even in the winter. Covering our blanket and satchels up, and tossing a few more large pieces of wood to keep the fire going, we shredded most of our cloths and leapt into the spring together.

Thank Thor, as it has been before, it was now still warm and soothing. When I finally resurfaced after letting the water fully engulf me, I saw Hiccup gazing at me from a few feet away.

"What?" I say lightly, hiding a smile and light laugh. He moves closer in the water and I can see specs of snowfall on his wet hair that quickly melts from the water.

"Just, you." He says as he closes the distance. It's barely mid-day and he's already starting with these cheesy, corny, super sweet lines. I groan, but my smile is apparent to him as I feel his arms snake around my waist under the water, bringing us closer together.

"I thought I warned you last night about that?" I tease, wrapping my arms over his shoulders so our bodies can press together.

"Oh, I don't know" He shrugs, looking back at me. "Maybe, remind me…" He says softly "what happens when I tell you that you're beautiful. And that seeing you rise out of the water like that was mesmerizing." He adds, pecking me on the lips.

"I'm half tempted to shove you under the water" I answer

"But" He lightly challenges me, and I give in.

"But I'd rather..." I do not finish as I press my lips to his. This right here, this is what it has been about. Just us, being together, feeling each other. We can talk to each other for hours; we can listen or just sit in silence. We could steal each other's breath through our words or our actions. Right now, it was through our actions.

The cold, though still air on our shoulders covered by the heat of the spring as the secluded and rocked off area was devoid of most wind currents. Our heads barely above the water as we float in the shallow spring. I can feel his Gronkle-iron foot as my feet trace his. Our tongues already dancing as our lips remain locked. If there was one bad thing about being in the spring, it was that we could not really do much else without slipping underwater.

Maybe it was the steam from the spring with the cold, or the water. But when we finally broke our lips apart this time for air, there was a certain gaze he had for me. Something I think I had for him too, a longing. I can't begin to imagine what my eyes were telling him, and I can only guess what his were telling me. But when he pressed his lips to mine again, we both knew.

It's weird to admit, even to myself, how much I've longed for his touch, or his lips. Maybe he feels the same because the passion between us sparks as our tongues dance again. Like we became intoxicated with each other's presence, but not crazed. He broke our kiss, and I almost felt my heart drop until I felt him kissing down my neck as his hands ran up my back, his finger nails gently tracing my spine in the water giving me shivers.

It was unintentional, I didn't control it, but I heard the moan slip out from my throat as he lightly traces my collar bone with his lips. Rolling my head back, my breathe becomes heavier as my grip over his shoulders tightens and I lock one of my legs around his, pressing my full body to his.

I feel it, a pressure pressing against me from under the water. I know what it is, he does, we're not naïve little kids anymore. We may barely be twenty, but I knew. I knew what I felt and it made me bite my lip as I smiled, closing my eyes as his lips starting to trace their way back up my neck until they found my lips again.

"Astrid." He breathes heavily, brushing our lips softly together. I open my eyes and gaze into his and can't stop myself from biting my lower lip.

"Hiccup." I say softly, looking him in the eyes as I feel his arms continue to trace my back.

"I think" I begin pausing and searching his eyes for some answer I already knew. "I think, I want to break that tradition with you." I finish just under my breath. Not for a lack of confidence, but just because it's Hiccup and I, though his soft smile sealed any doubt I might've had.

"I want that too." He says softly, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead to mine. "I want you." he adds in a teasing whisper.

"You have me. You can have all of me." I answer softly before pressing my lips to his, sealing any other words or thoughts of doubt away. We would be crossing that line today. We both knew it, we both accepted it. We both wanted it. I think, deep down, we both needed it. We needed to explore each other, to know every inch of each other in ways no one else in the world would know.


	9. Broken Traditions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content  
> My adult content for this story is not vulgar or graphic and is more romantic and passionate. I will always post a M warning here for an M chapter

The snowfall was sparing and light, dwindling down to nearly nothing with only the thinnest of layers coating the green grass. Grey clouds blanketed the sky surrounding Berk, though the sunlight still filtered through in some places. With a speck of snow or two littered our blanket and the steam from the spring with the cold air seemed to create something of a light mist, the small ravine was nicely secluded from the island at large. The forest surrounding us was quiet and still, and not even the sounds of the village could be heard this far out. It was a perfect place for us, a perfect place to forget the troubles of daily life.

Since our dip in the spring, we had found our way back to the blanket, though our lips and bodies never parted for long. There was intent in our movements, though still partially clothed in under garments, I found myself lying on top of Hiccup. My hips straddling his as I lean down and press my lips to his. I feel his hands rest on my waist, gently gliding up and down, feeling the curves of my body. Our tongues parry in a nearly practiced unison and it is not long until I subconsciously start rocking my hips against his again. Though once I notice it, I don't stop it, pressing down and rocking intentionally.

Our eyes flutter between partially closed to open as our lips remain locked. I feel his grip on my hips tighten, and maybe its subconscious for him too. I feel him tug on my hips downward as he presses up in between each rocking motion make. The pressure I feel from him down there, pressing against me is unmistakable. As my eyes flutter open, I feel a speck of cold snow hit the small of my back that makes me arch and press further down, rolling my eyes back and closing them.

"Hiccup." I mutter against his lips, hastily. My voice dripping with longing intention as I part my eyes open and gaze into his, looking for that same feeling from him.

"Astrid." He answers, and at the same time presses upwards, letting me feel him beneath our clothing as my rocking turns into grinding. Following the source of the stiff pressure with a light moan. I've never felt this way before, but I liked it. I loved what he was doing to me; it was intoxicating. When I gazed into those half-open green eyes, I could see the longing intention, the desire.

"I want to.." I pause, cupping his chin and biting his lower lip, "… feel you.." I add slowly, pressing my lips to his again and grinding down against his hips, rocking slightly. Pulling my lips away from his and gazing into his eyes. "…inside me." I finish softly, pressing my lips to his again before breaking and just looking at him. Waiting to hear his response as I lightly grind my hips to his, and he never ceases grinding his with mine.

Leaning up, Hiccup sits with a smile I've never seen come across his face before. His hands glide up my back to the secured under straps that cover my upper chest. I feel him snake his hands under the straps and slowly start loosening them as I let my eyes rolls back, still feeling an undeniable pressure. It seems that instead of us undressing the rest of the way, we would undress each other, and I was okay with that.

The straps covering my breasts slowly come undone and fall as he moves them to the side, kissing my collar bone and down my chest. I feel his hands cup my breasts, and either by the cold or by the sheer feeling of pleasure, my nipples were harder than normal and sensitive. So sensitive that when I felt his tongue lightly glide around one, I gasp and subconsciously rock my hips to his again.

Pulling away from him, leaving him sitting up, I slowly walk back on my knees, my hands tracing his lean arms down to his hips where they hook onto his trousers. Glancing back up at him, I see a sheepish smile directed back at me as I tug on them. Slowly pulling his trousers down to his ankles, walking back on my knees until I get them all the way off. And there it was, for the first time I laid eyes on the source of the stiff pressure I'd been feeling, what I longed to feel more of. I don't know what I expected, but I was not disappointed.

Hooking my fingers in my own lower straps that guarded my more sensitive lower area from daily life, I start to tug down at it while looking at him only for him to hold up his hand, pausing me.

"Please." He whispers, rotating too his knees, and knee-walking closer to me. "Allow me." He whispers, his breath gliding off my neck making me smile as I nod. One of his hands snakes around my waist as the other supports him while he helps lean me on my back. Planting a soft kiss on my lips, he trails down and revisits my neckline and collarbone, then both of my nipples before for slowly kissing further down.

Returning the favor in kind, he hooks his fingers on the straps of my lower garments and teasingly tugs, slowly but purposefully removing layer by layer until I lay bare before him. I felt no need to hide my body from him, I wanted him to see everything. Biting my lower lip briefly, I dare, and let my legs spread for him to see all of me.

"Beautiful." He mutters under his breath and I soak in the sight of this man gazing upon me. I know not all encounters in our future would be like this, but this one… this one was perfect. It was benign, though different. Hiccup had grown from a boy to a young man, and in many ways, his confidence had increased tenfold.

He leans down, his hands tracing the insides of my thoughts as he kisses one of my posted knees as its up. His eyes trace to mine, and another single speck falls on my bare chest. I can see his stiff member and I feel my hips rock against the air as I smile, softly and longingly biting my lip. My eyes sent the message I wanted to say; I wanted him, now.

He took the hint but surprised me as he kissed down my thigh and looked up to me. "I'm going to explore and savor every inch of you." He whispered and his voice made me tremble, closing my eyes with a smile. I've never felt so vulnerable yet so safe at the same time.

I felt his lips trail down my thighs, closer and closer to my womanhood, to the one area only he will ever see. There was a pause, and I was afraid to open my eyes before I felt his lips and tongue trace the area between my legs. It made my back arch as I felt the slick feeling of his tongue glide along, barely sliding in before settling on the peak. I felt a long moan escape my lips, it felt good. It was subconscious, I could stop it, and nor would I have even tried. He was gentle but deliberate as he explored my lower body. My own hands traced my body down to my hips until I felt his wet hair and I pressed down with them, my hips rocking with him. He was doing something right, that was for sure. Varied, light moans continued escaping my lips as I felt my legs grow weak.

"Hi-Hiccup.." Biting down on my lip to stifle my moans, I feel my back start to arch, lifting my hips slightly off the group as he continues to explore until I feel my eyes roll back. Letting loose a long, soft and content moan as my hips rock uncontrollably, I feel my own pressure releasing as he lifts his head up. I can hardly bare to open my eyes as I feel his legs inch forward, his lips gently trailing across my stomach and settling on my aroused nipples.

"Are you ready" I hear him whisper, his voice next to my ear as I failed to even notice him continuing up, still lost in the feeling. I open my eyes and gaze into his softly before allowing my eyes to trail down where I can see his stiff member poised to enter me. I can't stop the smile that curls on my lips as I nod, bringing my hands to his face and cupping his cheek so I can kiss him heartily. On this kiss, I can taste the slick wetness from what he just did to me. What should make me shudder or feel anxiety only fills me with a longing for more.

I intake sharply and let loose a soft moan as I feel the tip of his member slowly slide in. I wrap my legs around his hips and my arms around his shoulders as I feel him slowly pushing deeper and deeper inside. The feeling of him filling me up was palpable. As he pushes deeper, slowly, I cry out softly as I feel a sharp but quick pain that is quickly replaced with pleasure. He stops moving, waiting to see what I do and unable to pull out with my legs locked as my hips shake slightly. I tighten my legs behind his back, I slowly rock my hips against his, feeling him move deeper inside of me, replacing the pain with pleasure as I encourage him to push past my brief pain.

I no longer try holding back my moans of pleasure as his entire stiff member has filled me and broken that unseen line and my eyes roll back. I feel his lips touch mine, and in a short breath, I glance to him and smile. "Keep going." I whisper through a short breath and he smiles. We had done it; we had officially crossed that line and broken tradition.

*********************************

I felt my heart nearly leap out of my chest as she suddenly cried out, had I done something wrong, why was she in pain. Though my feelings of apprehension quickly fade as her hips rock against me, urging me deeper. I hear her moan against my lips as she makes eye contact with me. "Keep going." She softly says and it felt like music to me as I gazed into her eyes. Her smile unmistakable as she bit her lower lip and nodded. There was no going back now, not that I would ever want to go back. We had crossed that line, and we were going to go far past it, together.

I felt her legs loosen their hold on my back, giving me room to pull back out and push back in. With each motion, she gave a slight intake of breath followed by a soft moan, encouraging me to keep going. Savoring the time between each motion, as I press fully inside her, I rock my hips with hers, moving the angle and feeling her. With each movement, she lets loose a soft moan. I've seen her groan in pain or disgust, and this was nothing like that. Her voice and moans had a rhythm with each push I gave her, and she met mine with a rock of her own.

Her hips arching and raising slightly off the blanket as I am grinding mine to hers, only this time, with no clothing stopping us, with me fully inside her.

"Hi-hiccup. Mmm, Ah!" She is barely able to say as I start moving faster and more confidently. Spending more time rocking and grinding at the deepest press of my hips. My push and pull slowly working their way to thrusts with a second or so of grinding in between each.

"Astrid." I say softly, we had given up on trying to maintain lip contact, but my lips found her neck, allowing me to kiss her neck and collar bone. One hand resting on her hip and the other propping me against her side. I feel my own pressure building as my thrusts increase in speed.

"Mm, Ah, Hiccup. Do-Don't. Don't Stop. Ah" She says between breathes and I can feel her legs shaking as her back starts to arch more. I do as she wants, thrusting at an even but swift pace, pausing just long enough in between thrusts to control my own pressure. The last thing I want to do is release inside of her, not yet. We weren't ready for that stage of our life yet. But that doesn't mean we weren't risk takers, we rode dragons after all.

I hear her let out a loud and passionate moan as she presses her hips to mine and rocks gently, allowing me to slow my own speed and slowly pull out before I accidently release within her.

As the tip of my member begins to leave, I feel the silky wetness coating my member from her, her legs still shaking and pulsing.

"Hiccup, did you?" She says weakly and I shake my head.

"Did you?" I ask softly, and she nods, holding up two fingers as I smile. That was what I wanted. I wanted her to feel pleasure in that way.

"I have an idea." She says softly and, spreading her legs, she leans up and presses her hands against my chest, pushing me over. Slowly she shifts and gets on her knees, my stiff member standing tall as I lay back with a confused look on my face.

"Only fair that I explore this side of you too. You did for me" She says sheepishly, and I smile. I can tell her legs are still weak and I nearly jump as I feel her hand gently grip my still stiff member. It's more sensitive than it has ever been before, and she wastes no time returning the favor for how I started with her.

I'm not sure if this is orthodox for the Viking people, no one really talks about their sex lives at all. Unfortunately, we have grown accustomed to hearing it in certain hours of the night but even those sounds didn't sound like Astrid did just before. There was a pure pleasure to her voice that was intoxicating and incredible. Of course, feeling her lips gently wrap around my member was something I never expected.

Who could have guessed that this warrior woman of such renown would be willing to bare herself like this to me, to me? The Hiccup of the clan, with the most gorgeous and talented woman of the clan, I could hardly think. I heard a moan escape my own throat as her hands gently caressed my member with her lips wrapped over the tip of it. It was a new feeling; I felt the pressure building up again and I had the base desire to just lay her back down and release within her.

"Astri-iid. I'm going too, I can feel it…" I stumble over my words as I close my eyes, she does not slow down her pace at all nor even acknowledge my comments. I grip the blanket and feel myself contract, like I'm trying to hold it in but then I feel her lips go further down my member as the tip of it touches the back of her throat. That did it, I could not stop it.

"Astrid, I can't hold it." I mutter, barely able to form the words as my ability to hold back evaporates and I release completely, and I can feel her maintain her grip as her lips continue to move.

It felt like an hour had passed, and who knows maybe it was longer for it was passing late afternoon, though it was hard to tell for sure with the overcast which seemed to be dwindling. I feel her grip release as the tug on the blanket suggest she leans back, sitting on her heels. Slowly flickering my eyes open to look at her, I see her holding a towel around her legs and an unmistakable smile. To anyone else, it was an innocent, please with herself look; to me, it was a knowing and glad we crossed that line look.

Reaching over, I see her grab a waterskin pouch and take a drink before setting it down, moving the towel aside and crawling back on top of me. This time, there was a different look in her eyes and a retained smile; a look of pure contentment.

She lets her body lay partly on top of mine, with her bare leg crossing over mine, her chest and breasts pressing to mine as she rests her head on my shoulder. I hear her let out a long, glad sign.

"That… was worth it. In every respect." She whispers, her fingers fiddling with my hair.

"It absolutely was. Yet another tradition I'm glad we broke." I answer, turning my head to look at her and nuzzling my nose.

"We totally broke a lot of boundaries." She says softly, looking away but not moving her head, allowing our noses to continue brushing together.

Reaching up, I take her chin and encourage her to look at me. Gazing into her eyes I smile. "And we'll break more, together. We've got the rest of the day, and the night." I say, suddenly feeling my confidence spiral.

"Astrid, I-" I pause, but feel a peck from her lips brush against mine, encouraging me. "I don't want this day to end. But when it does" I pause, rolling slightly so that our bodies are facing closer together, intertwining my legs with hers. "I want to experience everything with you." I admit and she smiles.

"No boundaries?" She asks and I nod.

"No doubts?" She asks and I nod.

"No boundaries, no doubts. Just us, together, exploring each other, for each other." I say softly and she nods.

"I could get used to that idea." She whispers

"I hope so, cause I don't want it to end after tonight." I add and she turns her head and looks me in the eyes. "I make this vow to you, today, Astrid Hofferson." I begin. "I promise to hold you in my arms every night, and never let us lose our spark. I want to make you that kind of happy that when you lay in bed with me at night, the only thing you think is 'Wow, who knew this was even possible'." I continue, and I'm not sure, but it almost looks as though she stifles a tear as she smiles and nods. "And I know we're not married yet, but I vow to love you with all my heart and be yours so long as you'll have me."

"Hiccup." She whispers, pressing her forehead to mine, closing her eyes. I can see the glisten of a tear in her eye that prompts me to gently slide my finger across her cheek and under her eye. Opening her eyes, she smiles. "I'll have you for the rest of my life, and into Valhalla. I can't promise to be able to solve all of your problems in the future, but I can promise you will never face them alone. I love you, Hiccup Haddock, I am who I am because of you." She says and now I feel the mist in my eyes as I listen. "You're my every reason, and my every hope. No matter what the future holds for us, every day with you is the greatest day of my life." She finishes and lightly touchers her lips to mine.

Wrapping my arms around her, our naked bodies resting on the blanket as the specks of snow breathe lightly down upon us. We would explore more, and if tonight was truly Aurvandil's Fire, we'd make some new memories together; for now, we can rest in each other's naked embrace.


	10. Aurvandil's Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

There's no telling when we finally fell asleep, for the last thing I remember was holding her in my arms and the warmth of her naked body pressed to mine. Was I dreaming, did it really happen or was it just some cruel trick of the mind? My answer comes quickly as my eyes blink open softly and I feel her warm breath coast along my bare chest, her leg still thrown over mine with one of her arms across my chest.

It had grown darker; we truly did spend from dawn until dusk together with no other responsibility to anything else in the world but each other. I hadn't received a Terror Mail, Toothless nor Stormfly had come to find us, and Toothless certainly could if he needed too. The sounds of the village didn't make it out here and there were no sounds of chaos to be heard. No roaming dragons, nor wildlife. Just the calm and slow downfall of light snowflakes that almost all melted upon impact, and an ember riddled rock circle where a fire used to burn.

This was one time where I wouldn't dream of moving, where I didn't have to slink out from underneath her embrace. I closed my eyes softly and slowly ran a finger across her forearm as it lay gently on my chest, moving up and down with each of my own breathes. At this point, I'm not even sure Valhalla would be this perfect. Here lay this woman in my arms, the woman of my dreams that I had been in love with for longer than I can remember. Here on this day, she laid herself bare to me, and me to her, and we drank each other's presence in. No expectations, no illusions nor doubts. We had broken an age-old tradition together, and from the looks on her peaceful face as she lie here, neither her nor I regretted it in the slightest.

Would there be repercussions? Maybe, though doubtful. As it was when the race was on for the King of Dragons and I was made Acting Chief, I learned a valuable lesson, one I try not to abuse. It's that the Chief doesn't do what he's told to do, he does what he thinks is best. Usually that's directed towards the good of the people, but what if the good of the Chief was for the good of the people? I can certainly say I have a new reason to fight to make Berk a safe place. Well, maybe not a new reason, but a more refined one; and it was this beautiful, blonde woman who laid naked in my arms.

Allowing my eyes to open once again, I gaze up at the darkening sky and see the slightest bits of hue beginning to form. Aurvandil's Fire was something that only happened once the sun had set and the moon had begun its rise. It only happened every few years, and the last time it happened we were able to prove to the village how fearless the Hofferson's were. Thinking back to that made me smile, my fingers still tracing her arm.

"Hiccup?" I hear her gentle voice barely above the sound of my own breath as she shifts. I look down to her and smile.

"Sleep well?" I ask softly, pressing my forehead to hers as I'm immediately torn away from the sight beginning to unfold in the sky to the sight of her wondrous eyes as she looks back into mine.

"Mmm, I did. Better than I have in a long time." She answers, pressing her body to mine and where once there were gaps now there were none. A confused look crosses her face before its replaced by a smile. "So, it wasn't a dream?" She asks rhetorically.

"If it was, it was a dream come true" I answer, my fingers still tracing her arm. One of the great things about living in this northern archipelago was that we were both very accustomed to the cold, so our naked bodies laying bare in the cold air with no heat but our own was hardly even noticed by either of us.

"Yes, it was, and it still is." She whispers, scrunching up closer to me and resting her head on my shoulder so that her breath is tickling my ear.

It's around this time that the sun nearly vanishes from the sky entirely and the starlight starts to pepper the sky. I can see the faintest of wisps high in the sky with a greenish blue hue to them. It was Aurvandil's Fire starting up. Turning my head, I nudge her softly with my nose, her eyes still shut.

"Hmm?" She whispers softly in a sound more akin to a moan as I feel her leg stretch and glide up and down against mine.

"Look, Astrid. Aurvandil's Fire" I whisper as she slowly opens her eyes. The wispy hues reflecting in her blue eyes as she gazes up and smiles at the sight. "For the first time in Berk's history, we have nothing to fear on this night. We can enjoy the sight of Aurvandil's Fire and forget the memories of the past." I say softly, kissing her neck lightly as I see her bite her lower lip and smile, gently closing her own eyes.

"And make some memories of our own." She adds, turning her face towards mine and lightly pressing her lips against mine.

"Nothing but good memories" I say softly against her lips. "Nothing but us." I add and she laughs lightly, our lips still pressed together.

"Should we start those memories now?" She asks as she slips her leg fully over mine and is now straddling my hips.

Biting her lip, I smile. "You read my mind." I say softly as she smiles and leans back, now sitting fully upright while straddling me. Her naked body eclipsing the hue of Aurvandil's Fire above her as she reaches behind her head and pulls out a braid, letting her long, normally tied hair flow naturally down past her shoulders. It was a sight to behold from my perspective.

Leaning back down, her hair flowing to either side of her face and draping our faces so that all I could see was the reflection of her eyes, and all she could see was mine.

"Hiccup." She says softly, leaning in and brushing her nose to mine. "You may have mixed feelings about this, but your eyes are even more mesmerizing under the hue of Aurvandil's Fire." Astrid says quietly as I feel her hips press down against mine, stirring my member.

I smile as my hands finds her hips. "No mixed feelings at all, I can say the same about yours, Astrid. Seeing your silhouette against the skylight above is" I pause and trace her sides a couple times before smiling. "Is like I am living a dream." I finish and I can see her smile as she leans down, tracing my lips with her tongue.

"It's no dream, Hiccup. It's real" She whispers. "Aurvandil's Fire is real" She adds as her hips grind a little more. I see her bite her lips as my member becomes stiffer than it was the first time. "This.." she pauses, pressing down against my member with her waist, I can feel the slick wetness slowly coat my member as she grinds, not letting it slip inside. "This is real." She finishes.

I feel a sigh of relief wash over me. Not only was this real, what we were doing real. Not only has it been something I've watched since our Betrothal. But gazing upon her as she looks down upon me, her naked body straddling mine with her hair completely untied. She wasn't just happy to be here, she felt safe here. Viking women keep their hair in braids or spun up for when they need to go into battle, and her letting it loose here let me know that she felt safe. The battle had been won between our hearts, and we were exactly where we needed to be.

*********************************

I feel his stiff member growing under the pressure of my hips as I rock and grind them against his, careful to not let his member have enough room to accidentally slip in. It was weird to think about the number of lines we had crossed in a matter of hours. He explored by womanhood with his own tongue and lips before breaking that briefly painful line with his member. And I, in turn, explored his manhood with my own lips and tongue. I tasted him as he had tasted me, and God's have mercy, I liked it, and I'd taste him again before the night was through.

The best part of this was still that it was just us, I could not get over how much this you man had grown in recent years. I guess I've grown too, not even a year ago would I have imagined bearing my naked body to him like this. I've thought about what we would do on our wedding night, most people do. But did I consider, even for a moment, that'd we'd wholeheartedly break tradition and explore each other's body under Aurvandil's Fire? It hadn't even crossed my mind, though with all the threats we had faced together, maybe it did and I just brushed it aside.

But here, now, feeling his hips begin rocking with mine as his hands rest of my waist and I feel his stiff member practically throbbing, begging to be allowed entry against my pressure. As I lace his lips with my tongue and feel our lips meet and our tongues dance. The gentle caress of his right hand as it glides up from my hip and cups one of my breasts, massaging it, playing with it. Even before we cross that line again, I feel and hear a moan escape my lips against his.

Were we teasing each other, being exorbitantly playful in our passions with each other? Maybe so, but it only added to the passion, only increased the desire and the palpitation of intoxication. Our heartbeats increased with each passing rock of the hips, with each gentle caress of my breasts or cross of our tongues. Was it cold outside, were we even under Aurvandil's Fire anymore? At this point, none of that mattered.

"Astrid" I hear him breath heavily against my lips as I feel his hips rock. I can feel what he wants. Breaking the kiss, I press my forehead to his so I can look into his eyes while biting my lip, knowingly.

Brushing my hair slightly to the side, I place a hand on his chest and slowly slide it down until it slips between our hips. Not breaking eye contact nor losing the smile, I find his slick, stiff member, and inch forward onto my knees, giving enough leeway for me to stand it up. Letting my hand guide my hips, I gently lower my waist back down, feeling the tip of his member push its way inside me.

A brief and sharp intake of breath as I feel him gentle press up, slowly filling me again with his member I release my guiding hand and bring it back up his chest. It's slick from my own wetness as I'd been grinding against him, his member slides in much easier this time with no accompanying pain like the first time. He looks into my eyes as I press my hips all the way against his, feeling it even deeper than the first time while straddling him, I let my eyes roll back as my body falls forward and I press my chest to his.

Taking my guiding hand, I trace his lips with my slick fingers, and he parts his lips, allowing me to slip my slick finger into his mouth, letting him taste me as he had before. He looks like he enjoys it as I slowly remove my finger from his mouth and slip it into my own. Smiling as I let my finger slip out of my mouth, I rock and grind my hips to his slowly.

Feeling every inch of him move inside me, keeping me filled with his member. This way feels different than the last way, like I can feel it more deeply. I let a moan slip through my lips as I feel the heat building up between my legs. Grinding him like this was building up a pressure for me faster than the first time, though maybe that is due to a lack of pain this time. I feel his hips rock with mine, side to side, back and forth. He doesn't thrust up, but however we're moving this time is hitting just the right spots as my eyes glaze over.

"Kiss me." I hear him almost command and I don't even give it a second thought as I lean into his lips and feel his tongue slide into my mouth. Our lips pressing heavily against each other as I feel his hips rocking more quickly with mine. I feel my legs grow weak as I can't fight the moan escaping my lips and heavy breathes into his mouth. He doesn't mind, he doesn't stop. I know what he wants, he wants to please me; nothing more, nothing less.

I can tell as my eyes fight to look into his, his eyes are lock on my face, studying me with a passionate intensity as I feel myself start to shake. Hardly able to keep rocking my hips as my legs become weak and my back arches, he doesn't stop. He keeps the pleasure mounting inside me, like an explosion of pure passion and heat was erupting out of me.

I could hear my voice crack. "Oh, Hiccup, Yes, yes. Mmm, please, babe, don't stop. Don't. Stop. Ahhh, mmm" I say, nearly out of breath between broken hitches, almost subconsciously as if my brain had released command of my body and let my passion take the reins. It was then I realized that I was glad we were out here, cause apparently, I am by no means quiet when Hiccup is doing this to me.

Sharp intake of breath after breath, moan after moan and throbbing thrust after thrust, even my arms start to grow weak as I lower myself onto his chest and let him slow to a halt. My back still arching and my hips shaking as I still feel the heat. I'm flustered as I crawl along his chest to meet his lips, letting his still partially stiff member stay resting inside me.

"Astrid, that was…"

"Incredible." I finish for him, our lips barely apart. I feel the heat on my cheeks in what I can only assume is a blush as I look away. "Hiccup?"

"Yes?"

"Am I, you know… loud?" I ask sheepishly and I feel him brush my hair aside, causing me to look at him.

"We probably should be careful if we want to do this at my hut." Is all he says with a smile forcing the heat in my cheeks to rise.

"Tsk!" I chide but I'm in no way mad as my frown fades quickly and turns into a content smile. "We'll be careful then." Is all I mutter.

"But" He adds, pausing, his fingers brushing my cheek. "I love hearing you like that." He adds softly and I smile. We certainly are making new memories on this years Aurvandil's Fire, and the night had only just begun.


	11. Unexpected Arrival

It was early morning as we started making our way back to the village, well after the moon had crested the high point in the sky. We enjoyed and soaked in each other's presence for hours under Aurvandil's Fire before spending some time just laying in the warmer spring water. Letting the warm water wash away our actions but solidify our memories. We even got to enjoy a little bit of a light show while we walked back.

I had re-braided my hair to avoid any questioning gazes from anyone who may be out at this time in the morning, but fortunately for us, our entry into the village went unnoticed. We learned a lot about each other with the day we spent together. Even made our own vows to each other, and even if unofficial, they still filled my heart with warmth. As we approach Hiccup's hut with our bags, I can see the sight of a Deadly Nadder nestled into a ball on the side of the house, though no sign of Toothless. As bored as the dragon's must've been, it was a relief when we entered and saw the silhouette of the Night Fury resting comfortably on the slab of rock in his room.

Unloading our gear, I quietly make my way up to the bed and start to disrobe. As amazing as this last day was, snuggling up to Hiccup under a warm blanket in a warm bed would feel amazing. I hear the crack of spark rocks strike as he lights a low fire to warm the house before he makes his way up with me. I hear the Night Fury coo as Hiccup offers a slight pat before turning to me and the bed with a smile.

I'll admit, I felt sore in places I didn't know I could after this last day. And I am sure the same goes for him. It doesn't take either of us long to shred our cloths and climb into bed, but something was different about this time. We dropped all of our clothing, even the undergarments. We didn't speak beforehand about it, it was just something we both did. Something we both wanted, to feel our warm bodies pressing close together as we drift off into sleep for what little hours we could get before dawn.

Sliding into the bed, I feel Hiccup's arms snake around me my waist and pull me closer, my own arms wrapping around his neck as I gaze into his eyes. We don't speak, not for a long time. We don't move, or shift. It was just a gaze, a longing and content gaze. Neither of us were even tired, I for one felt wide awake as I feel his body against mine. Like I could forgo sleep entirely just to not break this gaze.

"Hiccup." I say softly, letting my forehead gently touch his without breaking eye contact. "What you said to me yesterday. About making me the kind of happy that when I lay in bed with you at night, the only thing I think is 'Wow, who knew this was even possible'." I restate for him and his gaze softens as his lips widen in a smile. I only nod, shrugging lightly. "You definitely do that to me." I finish softly.

He presses his lips to mine softly, tenderly as my eyes close lightly. Passionately but delicately, like his own lips were pressing just enough to purposeful feel every bit of my own lips. Long enough that went he pulled back, I felt my own head follow, longing to keep the connection for just another second longer. Slowly opening my eyes to look at him, and I can see the glisten of a tear.

"Every time I doubt my actions, every time I think about what I'd do differently, what lead me here. If there was some way that my father would still be alive, some action I could've taken differently or avoided entirely." He begins, his voice weak and filled with uncertainly. I release one of my hands from his neck and brush his cheek as he continues. "Every nagging doubt I've ever had. They are all put to rest when I hold you in my arms like this. Through the good, the bad, the rewarding and the challenging. As much as I may wish to see my father again, I would not change a thing if it would mean losing you." He says softly.

"When you said yesterday that I was your every reason, and every hope. That every day with me was the greatest in your life" He continues, and I smile and nod. "The same is true for me, Astrid. You're my everything. I couldn't do what I do now without you." He admits and I peck him lightly on the lips, laughing slightly.

"Careful who you admit that too, Gobber might start pushing for marriage before we're ready." I tease and he just laughs softly.

"Yeah, Gobber can ask for whatever he wants. I'm Chief, and it's no secret who the future Chieftess will be." He smiles warmly at the idea.

"We don't need to rush that. Remember when Dagur and Mala became betrothed and formed their relationship on intimacy from the very start?" I say, before stifling a laugh and adding "After they tried killing each other, that is." I finish and he just chuckles and nods.

"We have a different relationship. Built on years of friendship, solidified by years of trust and teamwork in the face of danger. We can take our time, because in the end, we know where we'll be and how we get there is our decision and no one else's." I finish with a smile, leaning in and kissing him again.

"We'll face the future, together." He adds and I nod, smiling wider.

I nestle into his chest and tighten my grip around him as I feel him do the same, his head resting lightly on mine as I close my eyes. Sleep came quickly now, being in his arms like this. I remember dreaming vaguely of us standing at the base of a statue, draped in white with the ceremonial cloth wrapped around our hands. A dream of soaring above the clouds with my arms wrapped around him, and his around me.

I feel something shift in the darkness and its like the warmth was sucked away from me for a moment before I felt the gentle touch of his lips press to mine.

"I'll see you soon" I hear without fully opening my eyes. He always woke up before the entire village, as though, since being Chief, he was hardwired to wake up so early. I may be an early riser like him, but he can beat me most days. A soft moan of acknowledgement escapes my lips as I try to open my eyes, but it's still too dark. I welcome this additional time to rest.

Today would be another lull of a day, not much to do for most. After rising with the sun, Toothless was gone with Hiccup and I spent a little time roaming his house. It genuinely looked like someone who only used it for sleeping, as most days he's gone before dawn and doesn't return until after dusk. I couldn't help but stifle a light laugh, taking a moment to organize his small kitchen area, fire pit and workstation.

After taking another moment to wipe down and redress into another set of cloths, I walked outside, and the brisk cool air met my face and made me close my eyes and smile. Walking around his house, I saw Stormfly still nestled, though the dragon reacted to me quickly, perking her head up.

"Hey, there's my girl. Morning ride?" I say, patting her on the underside of her chin and she chirps as I toss her a piece of chicken.

Before too long, we're in the air and beginning a circle around the island. The rush of wind makes my blood pump as I hug the Nadder's back as we dive. Then I see something unexpected at the docks and surrounding the island, Outcast ships, a lot of them. Hiccup never mentioned Alvin coming today, I wonder what that could mean. Turning on Stormfly's reins, I fly down to the Docks and see Hiccup already there with Alvin. Maybe the day wouldn't be such a lull after all.

*********************************

Getting up in the dark before dawn had become easier and easier with the weight of responsibility driving me to rise. Leaving her embrace was the challenging part, but I can take solace in that everything I do as Chief I do for the betterment of the Tribe and for us. Toothless accompanied me outside, we had spent so little time together in the past day with Astrid and I's little get away.

I started the morning with a flight around the village and then a walk through the roads. All was serene, peaceful, and heartwarming. A few households already had lights flickering from them from the fireplaces but no movement around the village yet. Dawn was moments away and all was right with the world.

Heading down to the Dragon Stables, the underbelly of the island was much warmer than the cool, brisk air that dominated the streets on the surface. The dragons liked the warmth, and many were still nestled and quiet. They'd grown accustomed to us walking their pens and generally paid no one any mind unless it was their rider or food. Spending nearly an hour down there with Toothless, it continued to amaze me how the dragons reacted to his presence. He had become the new Alpha, and he was treated like it even if he lacked the Alpha's ability to command. He didn't need that ability; he had their loyalty and we saw what that was worth against Drago.

Leaving the stables, dawn had passed and as I gaze out to sea, I can see incoming ships bearing the Outcast Flag. I remember a time when this would've been a cause for alarm, but Alvin had proven himself to be anything but treacherous. Perhaps Alvin the Tenacious would be more apt after recent years. Letting a soft sigh out, I begin a walk to the docks with Toothless as I start hearing doors opening and various rambling from others around the village. People were waking.

I'm soon joined by my mother as I approach the docks. "Outcasts?" She says softly with a slight amount of caution and I nod. I had forgotten that Alvin had been outcast for betrayal and she never met the redeemed Alvin.

"It's fine. He's an ally, I'm surprised he's here though." I say and she nods, following me with Cloudjumper and Toothless both in tow.

We arrive at the docks and a few moments later, Alvin's ship pulls in to port and the large ramp is extended as the Viking walks out. Wearing his customary skull and spiked garb, crazy messy hair and battle axe, he walks straight to me. I can feel my mother tense up, but her trepidation evaporates and turns into confusion as she hears his hearty, raspy laugh.

"Oh ha ha! Chief Hiccup now is it!" He says, extending a large hand to me. I reach past and grip his forearm and he grips mine as we nod.

"What brings you here, Alvin?"

"I just come to pay me respects to Stoick. I would've been here sooner but had a little problem back on me island that needed sorting!" He says with a grin and I laugh.

"Ah ha, yeah, probably good you ended up arriving today." I pause, turning to my mom. "Mom, you know Alvin. Alvin, my mother, Valka."

"Oh, I know Alvin the Treacherous" She says cooly and is visibly surprised when he just laughs.

"Ai, I remember ye, Stoick's wife! Glad ye didn't end dragon food like e'erbody thought!" He says, chuckling. "I ha'en't been called The Treacherous in a few years!"

"I was just thinking about that, maybe Alvin the Tenacious would be better suited. We do love our titles after all" I jest and he brings his hand to his chin and nods.

"Aye, Alvin the Tenacious. I could live with that. Hey! GORM! Spread the word! Alvin the TENACIOUS! I hear someone say The Treacherous again I'll throw 'em overboard!" he yells behind him and I see someone on the deck scramble and shout in acknowledgement before Alvin laughs.

"Bit on the other side, eh?" I hear my mom whisper and I chuckle.

"Oh, mom. Wait til you meet Dagur. Leader of the Berserkers." I say with a half-smile. What a ride we've had in recent years. Enemies to Friends around the clock. Even Viggo was redeemed.

"Hey, Chief" Alvin's voice breaks my train of thought. "That yer Chieftess, eh, Chief?" He says, pointing up and my eyes trail to a Deadly Nadder diving in with Astrid on it's back, and I smile widely.

Stormfly lands and Astrid hops off, coming up and standing besides me, her arm brushing mine as she greets Alvin.

"Alvin!"

"Oi, It's the Hofferson Rider! 'Ello Astrid!" He says between a laugh. "Alvin the Tenacious is me new name, courtesy of Chief Horrendous!" He laughs loudly before letting it die and waving his hands. "Don't ye worry, Chief. I won't do that all the time."

"Ah, ha ha, great." I sarcastically laugh.

"So!" He says, barreling to Astrid and I and gripping us in a huge hug. "When's the wedding!?" He says, which earns an eye roll from both Astrid and I but a laugh from my mother as he sets us down.

"No time soon, but I promise you'll get an invite." I answer and he nods, placing his hands on his hips. I feel Astrid shift closer to me.

"Aye, I better. Otherwise, I might have to go to war" He says, leaning down and I swear sometimes I can not tell if he is kidding, but his immediate laugh solves that. "Just Kidding! I would have to crash it though, so I better get one of those, eh, what you call 'em? Terrible Mails?"

"Terror Mail." I answer

"Aye! That's the one! Good on ya, now take me to that big ol' statue. I've got some respects to pay! I've brought some food too! Up fer a feast tonight, Chief Hiccup?" Alvin says, walking past us and prompting us to follow him

"The people of Berk are always up for a feast, Alvin. You know that. We've got the mead to spare." I answer, glancing at Astrid and she nods, smiling.

"Excellent! Hope you don't mind me boys 'nd girls running rampant through yer streets for the day! They need to stretch their legs!" He says before adding "I promise they won't destroy nothing!"

"Ah, ha! Good one, yeah that's fine." I say, turning around and doing a large circle wave to the small fleet of boats that are sitting just outside of port. I see them drop their sails and start to pull in. "Now, let's go see that statue, Alvin."

I glance at Astrid who has stayed close to me since she landed and snake my fingers around hers, holding her hand and squeezing tightly. She smiles and walks with me as we escort Alvin to the large statue of Stoick the Vast.


	12. Trappers and Scales

If there was one thing the People of Berk loved more than their dragons it was their food and mead. The rumors of a feast swirled around the town as Alvin's crew filtered into the main roads of the town and dominated much of the talk of the town. We may live on two different islands, but since Alvin's redemption, we'd become close allies. I still remember when he sailed to Berk to protect it while my father lay on his death bed and I had to deal with Johann. He solidified my trust in him on that day, cause he was never asked to do that. He mobilized his fleet for our defense of his own accord, and its not something I'll forget anytime soon.

It was something else to see, honestly. This Viking, the size of my father, on his knees before one of the legs of my father's large statue. Unclipping his axe, he sets it down. It was the same axe my father had tossed to him when we were fighting off Dagur's forces, gods, what's it been, five or more years, now. Rising from his place, Alvin turns to Astrid and I and walks closer, placing his large hand on my shoulder.

"You'd made yer father proud, chief. Ye'll always have a friend on my island." He says, in arguably the most somber tone I've ever heard from the Viking before releasing his grip and walking away.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think he wants to cry" Astrid said quietly to me and I nod.

"You know, it's weird. My father and him went from best friends, to bitter enemies, to stalwart allies. Alvin wasn't here when my father died, though if I had to guess, he wishes he were. Like me, he's working through it in his head, examining if he could've done things differently. Paid closer attention to the trappers around the archipelago." I answer, my voice soft enough that only Astrid can hear me as I watch the Viking make his way back to his ship. Undoubtedly to offload food and other supplies, but a part of me knew he just wanted to be alone. Regret isn't something everyone is accustomed to dealing with.

"Some people just handle it differently" Astrid answers and I shrug.

"Or not at all." I add and she nods, resting her head on my shoulder.

"So, a feast tonight?" She asks and I nod with a smile.

"Guess so. It's already the talk of Berk, would be promoting anarchy if we didn't at this point." I joke, turning to look at her. She smiles and nods her head in agreement. "Any plans today for you?" I ask as I slowly start walking towards the Great Hall's doors with her. She shakes her head.

"Staying with you. I had thought about making the Auxiliary riders do some drills, but that can wait until tomorrow with Alvin's fleet in port." She answers as we enter the Hall. I see Eret, my mother, and the other Riders looking over a parchment on the table. "Wonder what's going on." She says aloud as we approach.

"Let's find out." I answer and flag down Eret. "Hey, guys! What's all this?"

"Hey, Hiccup! I got word from some of my contacts, seems like there's a trapping ring operating in the Archipelago for some western warlords. Trying to nail down where they may be." Eret answers, dropping a knife on the map.

"And the peace never lasts, does it." I sigh and he nods with a shrug.

"Not with the right amount of coin. Most of my former trappers have just changed to new employers instead of refining their ways." Eret answers and I nod, glancing at Astrid who's expression has grown serious.

"Well, where there are trappers, there are dragons that need our help. Squeeze what you can out of your contacts, and starting tomorrow, we go and release these dragons." I say, looking at the crew. I feel Astrid place a hand on my chest and glance to her and see her smile. Guess more training for the Auxiliary Riders would have to wait.

"Yeah, about time I get to knock some skulls." Tuffnut says with a grin.

"You said it, brother. We'll show those trappers who's got the gassiest record of all the dragons" Ruffnut answers with a laugh.

"Well said, sister! It's me, right?" Tuff adds

"It's us, doofus." Ruff answers, hitting his helmet

"Oh, right!"

"With all we know about dragons now, they won't stand a chance! I can't wait to help them" Fishlegs says, clasping his hands together as Snotlout slams one of his fists to his palms.

"Good, Hookfang and I were getting bored. Glad the great Chief Hiccup could fit it in his schedule" He exclaims.

"Speaking of" I add after a light laugh. "Starting today, I want everyone to collect the dragon scales as your dragons shed. I have a few ideas. Just collect the scales for the next couple weeks and bring them to me."

"Whatever you say" Snotlout waves his hand.

"When is the feast tonight, son?" My mother asks, breaking the discussion up.

"Haven't decided yet, to be honest. Alvin and his crew are unloading at the docks now. Fishlegs, could you see we have the mead brought to the Great Hall?" I ask, turning to Fishlegs who nods.

"You got it, Hiccup" He says before scurrying off.

"What about us?" Tuffnut asks, pointing to himself as Ruff and Snotlout stand nearby.

"Snotlout and the twins, help Alvin and his crew get the food here. Eret, can you make sure they don't eat any of the food before the feast?" I say, adding the last bit and earning a groan from the twins.

"You always know how to take away the fun." Tuffnut sighs as Eret nods.

"You bet. I'll keep you updated on the trapper movements too, hopefully have a target tomorrow." Eret answers.

"Thanks. Alright, gang. Let's get it ready, we have guests tonight so let's make this a real Berkian feast."

"Yeah!" The twins and Snotlout say as they start walking out. I can hear them chattering to themselves. "I wonder what they brought." Tuff says.

"Maybe some chicken corn feed, we can pop it with the heat. Slather with yak butter…" Ruff adds

"Hey, that was totally my idea!" Snotlout yells after them as they laugh and leave the Hall. Eret shrugging and closely in tow.

As I turn to Astrid, I notice my mother still hovering and she nods to me and Astrid now that we're alone.

"So, did you babes have a good day yesterday?" She asks with an annoyingly knowing gaze, prompting both Astrid and I to blush profusely.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks, mom. We can uh, not talk about that. It was good though." I stammer as Astrid coughs and turns away, embarrassed. My mom shrugs and nods.

"That's all that matters, Hiccup. I'll see to the Hall preparations and see you two love birds tonight." She adds.

"Mom!" I exclaim and she just laughs, walking away. Turning to Astrid, her face is beat red. "Moms being moms" I laugh nervously.

"Do you think she knows?" Astrid asks quietly, watching Valka walk off.

"Eh, probably. I bet she suspects something." I shrug. "But she won't say a thing about it so we're fine. Come on, let's head to the forge. I've got something I want to show you." I add and her nervous expression is replaced with a smile as she nods and we make our way out of the Hall together, arm in arm.

*********************************

I've grown to love it when he takes me to the forge where he spent most of his youth as an apprentice to Gobber. Gobber still spent most of his time there working on saddles or Dragon Tooth repair, but there was an add-on, smaller work area that Hiccup had all to himself that he'd steal me into on occasion. Never for anything questionable, just a place to escape prying eyes as he showed me new designs for Toothless's tail or his own peg foot.

This time was not different, well, mostly no different. As he leads me into the smaller work room, I feel his arms wrap around me and his lips press to mine passionately. I melt in the kiss and just wrap my arms over his shoulders, closing my eyes and savoring the moment of peace. As our lips part, I look into his eyes, slightly out of breath and smile.

"Where did that come from?" I ask under my breath and I see his lips curl as he shrugs.

"I've been waiting to do that all morning." He admits as he released his embrace and leads me over to the table. I feel a heat in my cheeks as I know they turn rosary red after his comment in a blush and bite my lower lip, nodding in acceptance. His answer was enough for me.

Leading me over to a table, he opens a small notebook and unfolds the paper inside it revealing a suit design.

"I'd been toying with this idea for a little while. Dragon Scale suit. Tougher than leather, won't ignite under fire, adds a real dragon-vibe to the riders." Hiccup begins explaining and I nod. The idea was awesome. "Here, instead of cloth stored in my pants, I was thinking of collapsible wings on my back." He says, pointing out the design. Usually this sort of thing was just a little beyond me, Hiccup had a mind out of time, like he was from some crazy future world where the people flew across the roads and soared in the skies without dragons carrying them. My wandering mind was betrayed by my smile as he flips a page and shows me a more feminine design that resembled a Deadly Nadder.

"This was what I had thought of for you." He says softly, brushing my hair.

"I like it. Keep the wings, not sure I want to try that just yet." I add with a light laugh before flipping the page. I see one for the twins, for Snotlout and Fishlegs. "Wow, babe. When did you have time to work on all of this?" I ask, genuinely amazed.

"I try to give it an hour every other day. I've started some ideas for the Auxiliary Riders too. That's why I want everyone to collect scales. I'll help everyone make their suits so they can learn how to repair them. But if we're getting closer to tracking down trappers, we will need every edge we can get." He says, speaking as though he was preparing me like when we faced the Hunters or the Flyers.

As he looks on the designs, I move closer to him and slink my arm around the small of his back. He instinctively does the same with his.

"It's good work, babe. We'll get it done. I've been collecting Stormfly's scales for awhile but they're just in a chest at my parents house." I admit and I feel him tense up.

"Speaking of, what've your parents had to say about your overnight absences these last few days?" Hiccup asks nervously and I laugh.

"The usual; be careful, don't do anything you'll regret, you'll always be welcome back. Things like that." I say cheerfully. I hadn't talked to them since then, but that was the general response I got.

"Do they know it has been spent with me?" Hiccup questions

"They know we spend a lot of time together, about our betrothal, obviously. I believe, my mother said you had better marry me before we get pregnant" I add, chuckling nervously at the last comment. This wasn't a topic we usually brought up.

"Yeah, I don't think we're ready for either of those yet, not with dangerous people still out there. I want our future children to have a safe world to live in." Hiccup says softly and I freeze. Our future children. He had been thinking about it too. It made my heart flutter as I gripped him tighter. While times were mostly peaceful, the presence of any warlords while he was chief meant any children we had could be in danger. Yet another example of him thinking ahead, he honestly made my legs weak when he did that.

Confidently speaking about our future together with no doubts, solidified in the idea that we were one, that our children would be his foremost concern and he didn't want to rush but he certainly did want. It's not something that was new to me, but every day it seemed to affect me in the same way it had when it first happened. He wasn't the typical Viking, he wasn't loud or coarse, belligerent or disrespectful like many can be. He was kind and thoughtful, strategic, and precise. Yet he always was willing to defer to me in terms of tactics when time and time again, it's been his ideas and plans that have won the day. I pull his hip closer to mine as we stand, side by side, looking at the designs. Resting my head on his shoulder, even in this little war room of his, I felt at peace.


	13. Another Feast

This may well have been the first time that the Chief of the Outcasts had sat at the Chief of Berk's table for a feast as the Great Hall was filled to the brim of Berkians and Outcasts. I guess, they weren't really Outcasts anymore, but they still seemed to like that title. Being an Outcast had led to Alvin's turnabout, though, from what Hiccup told me, I'm not sure he was bad as much as he was misguided. Alvin had made a mistake that lost a few lives and was banished for it, neither of those events can be chalked up to a good thing but at least now, he was our ally.

This feast stood less on ceremony than the one on the one-month anniversary of his father's death did, but there was still some ceremony to be had. After half an hour of eating and more than one round of mead across the adults, I heard Alvin from across the table.

"'Ey, Chief. Do me a favor 'nd get e'erbody's attention. I got somethin' I need to say." Alvin requested and Hiccup nodded, glancing at me with a confused but amused look.

Hiccup stands and raises his hands and without saying anything at all, the people quiet down and turn towards him. They'd grown to know he only speaks like this when its important, and to at least listen to what he had to say. It made me smile seeing the growing respect the people had; challenges aside, no matter what. There may be a few naysayers here or there, and problems in the future, but by and large, the people followed him.

"People of Berk! We owe this bountiful feast to our allies from Outcast Island, and I'd like to take a moment to just say that, while they are Outcast in name, they are not as a people. They are our allies and our family, and it's my honor to welcome them to feast tonight with us." He says with a growing layer of confidence. There is a hearty "Hear, Hear!" from everyone as he continues. "Now, with that said, Alvin the Tenacious, Chief of the Outcasts, has something he wants to say!" He says then looks to Alvin who stands awkwardly.

"Well, I'm no speaker like yer chief here. 'Nd I'll be right to me point! I know we rubbed a lot of ye the wrong way o'er the years, me in particular. But we'd grown stronger fer it!" Alvin says, surprising me by admitting his past like that. "I'm sorry I wasn't here when Stoick fell, 'nd can admit I lost a brother that day. But I want to make it known now that the people of Berk will always have allies on me island." Alvin adds and raises his class, earning another "Hear, Hear!" before lowering his hands and nodding. "Yer Chief, the son of Stoick, is as strong as they come and a true diplomat. May he lead well, to Chief Hiccup the Stalwart!" Alvin roars with his drink in the air. And I do not know what surprised me more, Alvin raising a glass to Hiccup, or seeing the roar of the people cheer with him. I glance up to Hiccup who is still standing with a now bright red flush on his cheeks as he meekly smiles.

"To the Hooligan and Outcast Tribes!" Hiccup counters earning a nod of approval from Alvin as he takes a seat again. Looking back down on the people, Hiccup adds. "Enjoy the feast!" He finishes and sits back down as everyone cheers and goes back to digging in their food.

Glancing at Alvin, Hiccup sighs. "I was not expecting that." He admits and Alvin just laughs

"Ha, ha, ha! I Know! Ye should'a seen the look on yer face! Priceless! Did ye all see that, yer chief, red as a lava pit!" Alvin laughs, prompting literally everyone at the table, myself included to laugh, even Hiccup laughed a little before nudging me.

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side." He grumbles with a half-smile as I shrug.

"Oh, I am. But he has a point, babe. For someone who does not like public speaking, you're getting better at it." I say teasingly as he groans and pulls me in, planting a full kiss on my lips and sealing any further humor I might've tried throwing at him.

"Oh okay! We've officially crossed into disgusting! I was trying to eat!" Snotlout exclaims, throwing his hands up in protest at our display of affection.

"Then why ye watching the lovebirds." Alvin hoarsely challenged between a swig of mead, prompting Snotlout to grumble.

"They're like, right there. It's hard not to. Okay, okay, can we just, move on?" Snotlout pleads

"I don't know, man. You're the one making a fuss. Half the table is eating." Tuffnut shrugs, shoving a piece of mutton in his mouth.

Neither Hiccup or I cared, if anything, their bantering was amusing and probably called for. Cause we didn't break the kiss when Snotlout cried out, if anything, we pressed in further.

The feast went well into the evening and the Great Hall was bustling with conversations and laughter with the people of Berk mingling with the Outcasts. The twins and Snotlout are telling absurd stories about their heroism and adventures on the Edge to Alvin, but it's still making all of us laugh. Even Hiccup and I, are laughing as we drink and eat. Our chairs had moved closer and his arm is wrapped around me as we're turned, facing the fabled storytellers that are the other riders. Even Fishlegs was telling stories, though his were more down to earth in accuracy.

Looking for my mug, my eyes trace the crowd, and most are too busy with their own conversations to pay ours any mind, but I do notice a pair of eyes gazing at me from the sea. Looking further, I can see my mother watching me with a soft look. Like she was decrypting something or trying to work something out in her mind. I had been away from home for three days now, even Stormfly was resting at Hiccup's house. It must've been noticed by others, even if we were careful to wait till nightfall and disperse by dawn. It wasn't like we were sneaking around; we were just being discrete. No one would really try calling us out, with how many times we've saved Berk, and that he's Chief, we had a certain leeway.

But that leeway doesn't extend to my parents. Hiccup already seemed to have his mother's blessing to pursue more questionable time with me, but I can't say the same for my parents. Always so bent on tradition and being the best. It was my father who taught me to fight, and my mother who showed me strategy. It was their combined teamwork that I strive to emulate with Hiccup and in many ways, we do match if not exceed them.

I haven't actually faced the music though; I hadn't been back since leaving and I knew I would have too to collect those scales anyways. I may as well go tonight while they're filled with food and drink so it alleviates any anger I may face. It was usually better to have sensitive conversations with a mead-soaked parent than not, for it didn't make them belligerent, if anything it helped calm them when they are in their wind down phase.

Should I tell them more, where I have been? I would not tell them that we broke tradition, that was our secret, even if Valka suspected. But could I tell them my intention to stay with him going forward? Would they accept that or throw out all my stuff, would it spark a drama that spilled into the streets of Berk? All because a pair of passionate young adults could not contain their longing for one another. Which, to be fair, we could. We chose not to. We made the choice, we planned it. We knew what would happen at that spring and what it would mean, and we went anyways. We were not innocent in this, and if there were consequences, we would face them together.

I struggle to break eye contact with her but am fortunate that Hiccup's laugh distracts me as he pulls me closer. My gaze leaves my mother and looks to him and I just smile, resting my hand on his leg I squeeze tightly and laugh at nothing in specific. I had not heard the most recent story, but I could not let Hiccup see my concern. He had enough to worry about and I did not want him to think it was regret or doubt. It was simply concern over my parent's reactions. Nothing more. Tonight, was going to be interesting to be sure…

*********************************

The feast was going well for the first real unified gathering between the two tribes. For all the rumors and stories, we were told as kids about the Outcasts, they were either exaggerated with bias or they had truly reformed their ways. Either way, these were people I had trusted, and would trust again, to help me defend my island. Dragons aside, having allies you can call on when times get rough brings a certain degree of comfort and peace of mind to oneself and it is not something I'll balk at. It is one of the reasons I try so hard to negotiate even with my worst enemies over attacking them outright. Even Drago, even after what he did.

But this was not a night for reminiscing, Alvin had made it a night of celebration in a solidified alliance between our peoples. And I was grateful for it. It brought to mind when I could expect Dagur, Mala and Heather to return. With Heather staying on Berserker Island, both Fishlegs and Snotlout's unorthodox romantical efforts towards Ruffnut was at an all-time high. Though something tells me Fishlegs would win out over sincerity versus Snotlout's obnoxious nature. He hadn't really changed since we were kids, and it had helped us in the past, but he could really stand to tone down the exaggerations. I remember when he was writing a book about how he felt underappreciated.

That said, as crazy as they were, they were my crew, my riders and I would not trade any of them for anyone. I've grown to trust them, even if they can be true pains in the rear at times. And the exaggerations were amusing at the very least during story telling times. Like now, Snotlout was recalling a time when he and I were stuck on Outcast Island when we were enemies of Alvin, and how he single-handedly saved the day. And it's sort of true, but there was enough embellishment that I couldn't help but laugh.

I feel Astrid shift besides me and tug on her shoulders, bringing her closer, her side pressing with mine. Her hand finds my leg and grips tightly, pulling me out of my train of thought and glancing over to her with a smile. She had a brief look of unease on her face that quickly vanished and was replaced with a smile. Leaning in, I peck her lightly on the cheek.

"Everything okay?" I say only loud enough for her to hear me over the roar of the people around us and she shrugs, rolling her neck and sighs a little bit.

"Yeah, I've got a feeling I'm going to have an interesting conversation with my parents tonight." She admits to me, prompting me to turn my head slightly and look at her.

"Why do you think that?" I ask, my eyes studying her face, a flicker of unease taking shape in my own mind. I know I didn't regret anything between us and was confident she didn't either. But her parents may not be as understanding as my mother is.

"I just noticed my mother staring at us amid everything with a look about her. Since I need to get the scales anyways, once this feast is ended, I'll be stopping at my house to face whatever she has to say." Astrid says, her tone quiet and somber, like she feels a degree of apprehension.

"Do you want me to go with you?" I ask, my hand finding hers and squeezing it tightly and she shakes her head, looking at me and smiling.

"No, Hiccup. This is something I'll need to handle alone. I imagine it's about you and I, and it's not like our relationship is some great secret like it was when it started." Astrid answers softly, returning my grip, though looking away.

"That was only to avoid any appearance of doubt while we dealt with the hunters, it wasn't even really a huge secret then, anyways." I reaffirm and she nods. Squeezing her hand, she looks at me and I smile. "Whatever you need, Astrid, I am by your side. If you need to do this alone, then I support you. If you think you should spend more time with them, than with me, I'll support you." I say softly but confidently, and she smiles, shaking her head.

"Whatever the outcome of this talk, I don't want to spend less time with you, Hiccup. And I don't want to go back to sleeping alone." She whispers, pressing her forehead to mine and I smile, nodding.

The night seemed to fly by after that, with Astrid and I never breaking our grip except to find a drink or piece of food here or there. Even then, our hands quickly found each other again and our chairs remained close. Near the end of the feast, as she was resting her head on my shoulder, Alvin bellowed a loud laugh.

"Alright-ey, then! If ye don't mind, I got a bedroll on me ship to crash on. 'Eh, Chief Hiccup. Ye don't mind us stayin' in port o'er night to sleep it off, do ye?" Alvin asks and I shake my head.

"You're more than welcome to, Alvin. I was going to recommend it anyways." I state and he nods, rising.

"Well then, good night 'nd I'll be seein' ye around. We'll be off early!" Alvin finishes and heads out, most of his Outcasts breaking their conversations apart and following their leader as he does. Thus sparked the break in the night, as the Outcasts filtered out, the Berkians followed suit with several people finding themselves yawning, their fatigue catching up to them.

Glancing down, I spot Astrid's mother gazing up at us briefly but once my eyes meet hers, she breaks contact and starts to make her way out with her husband. Astrid squeezes my hand and I nod. She saw it too, hopefully it didn't mean anything bad and it was a look of concern for their daughter and not anger. Looking at Astrid, I see her let out a breath and my finger traces her chin so she looks at me and I lean in, kissing her.

"Go, you know where I'll be if you need anything." I say softly, parting my lips from hers and she smiles.

"I love you, Hiccup." She says softly and I smile warmly.

"I love you too, Astrid." I answer, squeezing her palm as she smiles and nods, getting up and chasing after her parents. I take a deep breath and finish my own drink, closing my eyes and shaking my head slightly. I hope how close we have become doesn't cause problems for her, I want to help make her life enjoyable and happy, not challenging.

"Love has its hurdles, Hiccup." I hear my mom from the other side of the table. She's the only one still at the Chief's table with me, with only a few scattered Berkians still in the Great Hall, finishing up. Conversation down to various idle chatter. I nod and sigh.

"I just hope jumpable hurdles don't become impassable mountains." I answer her.

"Stay strong for her, and she'll stay strong for you. Come, walk with me." She says, standing and I let loose a breath. Apparently, it was time for my own talk; are mother's synchronized or something, this seemed almost planned.


	14. Chapter 14

The walk from the Great Hall down to the dragon stables was quiet and awkward, at least for me. Having your mother tell you to follow them for a private chat was never comfortable because it usually ended in some sort of reprimand or lecture, they want to keep away from prying eyes and ears. My mother had proven to be different though, and generally extremely supportive of my endeavors though that could be due to her twenty-year absence and her trying to make up for it. In any case, she seemed sincere and genuine in her talks with me, and never demoralizing. I was fortunate she was who she was, and I wish she had been in my life as a child.

After making a round around the stables, feeing the dragons that were awake and letting rest the ones who slept, with me trailing behind her, she paused and turned to me with a soft, warm look.

"I can see the concern on your face, Hiccup." She starts and I shrug, nodding. I was not trying to hide it really.

"Can you blame me?" I ask rhetorically and she shakes her head.

"No, not really. Mother's are observant, and I've noticed the change between the two of you, Hiccup." She says slowly, with my heart rate increasing as she continues.

"You move closer together, almost always touching. The way you sit together, it's how I sat with Stoick after we were married. Before we married, there was a certain degree of awkwardness in our approach to affection, especially in public." She says, turning and walking slowly with me following. "But you two, you've grown bolder, more transparent. As though that stage of awkwardness is behind you which can only mean one thing to those who have walked those shoes before." She adds. She knows. How? Were we as obvious as she claimed? I knew she suspected but she sounds so sure.

"I won't ask you to confirm or deny anything, Hiccup, you are Chief, and ultimately what you choose to do with Astrid is your own choices. Just be aware of the consequences and repercussions should you get careless." She finishes and I nod softly.

"You know, it's interesting." I begin slowly, "Viggo, the Dragon Hunter, made a comment like that when I thought he had reformed from his ways. He mentioned how challenging it would be to go into battle with a lover by your side. How it could cloud your judgement. Then he tried to use Astrid against me by threatening her life." I say, recalling the events when Viggo fell inside the Volcano after I threw the Dragon's Eye. My mother had stopped walking and turned to look at me. She hadn't heard even a quarter of all our adventures on the Edge, just the highlights and even those didn't include everything. I smile softly as I remember the look on Astrid's face as I threw the Dragon's Eye.

"We'd only been together for a month or so when that happened, and it was kept discrete to avoid any appearance of favoritism. But in that moment, when it was just us and Viggo, we both knew." I continue, pausing as I think on it, shifting in my stance.

"Knew what?" She asks me and I nod to myself as I think.

"That we loved each other, that no matter what we faced, we'd face it together, and that we'd never put each other ahead of the greater good. In such situations, we needed to battle the evil and stop it from winning, not allow it to win to save each other." I answer. "He still ended up with the Dragon's Eye in the end, but it took them considerable resources to gain it which gave us time. Time we wouldn't have had, had I just given in to Viggo to try and protect Astrid." I add and she nods.

"You made the decisions of a Chief even then, Hiccup. And I'm proud of you. I know, and trust, that you and Astrid know what you're doing. I've seen how she supports you and how you act when she is with you. You have a strong connection, one that's been tested by time and hardships. You're a smart man, and she is a smart woman." She says, walking closer to me and placing her hand on my shoulder and nodding. There it was; her blessing to continue. She had to know what lines we had crossed, but she also knew we weren't irresponsible. I can only hope Astrid's talk with her parents was going even remotely as well. A part of me worried it wasn't and my mother must've seen my concern.

"Hiccup, whatever talk Astrid has to have, I know she won't dwindle in her love or support for you. The entire village knows she is our future Chieftess when the time comes, and that her parents would be hard pressed to even ask her to consider another suitor who could be your equal in her eyes. Be strong and wait for her." She finishes and wraps her arms around me in a mother's embrace and I nod.

After we part, I return to my house while she continues another lap around the stables. Astrid hadn't arrived yet, and Stormfly was gone. A creeping unease filled my thoughts, but it was quickly put to rest when I entered and saw her bags still where she had left them. She had cleaned up some of the house too, and it made me smile. She felt comfortable here, and I wanted her too.

I did feel bad for Toothless, we hadn't been on as many rides as usual in recent days, well, since my father passed to be fair. I've been too busy with Chiefing that riding has had to take a back seat as much as I hated that. And I couldn't leave now and have Astrid come back to an empty house, no I'd wait.

"Hey bud, I know you're probably ready to stretch your wings." I say, approaching the Night Fury as he perches on his slate rock. He grumbles and nods. "Let's wait for Astrid and maybe we can have time for a night ride tonight. Sound good?" I ask, patting him on the underside of his chin and he coos in acceptance. "Thanks for being my best bud." I say to him and he just purrs, resting his head back down. Taking the time, I unpack the bags we came back with and separate the cloths that need to be washed and such while waiting. It feels like I'm waiting for an eternity, but all my waiting is worth it as I hear my door open and Astrid's voice call out to me.

*********************************

It was surprising how easily I lost them in the crowd of people leaving the Great Hall, but ultimately I knew where they would be going so instead of trying to track them down, I just headed home. Maybe they had left in a hurry to avoid this, but it wasn't something that should or could be avoided. They were my family, but so was Hiccup. I shouldn't need to hide from them, I shouldn't need to hide him from them or my feelings. I never had to before, I shouldn't have too now, even if it would be what they didn't want to hear.

Standing in front of my door, this was the first time I've ever felt any apprehension about opening it. I've never felt like I could ever be unwelcomed in my parents' home, that I would face a heavy degree of scrutiny from them over my choices. They've only ever been proud of me, even when I lost to Hiccup in Dragon Training when my goals were different, they didn't discredit me. When I first told them about my relationship with Hiccup, they supported me. If for no other reason than he was the future Chief of Berk and a savior to the people, personal character notwithstanding. It was his character that attracted me to him, the unassuming hero who never sought recognition or credit; the literal polar opposite of most Viking Males. His heir to the Chief of Berk or the actions he's taken since then to save and protect Berk did nothing to influence my feelings for him. I've loved him for longer than that, it might not have shown but I was always more afraid of him hurting himself when we were younger.

Letting loose a deep breath, I open the door and there they are, sitting at the table near the fire pit. They both look at me, then at each other, and I'm having a hard time deciphering what their looks mean.

"Hello, Mom, Dad. How- How are you doing?" I ask, my voice failing to hide my nervousness as I step inside.

"We're fine, Astrid. We weren't expecting you tonight." My mother answers slowly. "Did you leave something here that you need?" She asks, knowingly, assumingly and I grip my arm and shrug.

"Sort of. But I also just wanted to come back and spend a little time with my parents if that's.. okay." I say meekly and my mother glances at my father who shrugs.

"Since you're here, take a seat." My father says with a roll of his neck, taking a drink of his mug that is probably lined with mead from his own stores. I do as suggested and sit at the table with them. There is an awkward silence as I clasp my hands together.

"So, how have things been here?" I ask, just trying to fill the silence. This was a new kind of torture I wasn't used too.

"Things have been good. How are things with you? Had a busy few days?" My father says calmly, setting his cup down in a way that honestly made me shift uncomfortably. Like I was expecting him to explode with a barely controlled anger that's boiling and about to tip. My mother was no different, sitting in silence with a pair of needles, stitching together what seems to be a new pair of pants.

"Uh, yeah. We, uh, got some news. Dragon Trappers are on the move, we're likely going after them soon." I admit, unsure if that was information I should share but needed something to fill the tension. "Don't worry, we'll be careful." I add before either of them can ask. There is another few moments of silence that fill the house, pushing me to the brink of sanity. I usually have no issues sitting in silence but it's thick in the air, like something needs to be said.

"How are things with Hiccup?" My mother finally asks, and I feel my throat catch as I'm briefly unable to even swallow a gulp of air. "You've been spending a lot of time with him recently." She continues.

"Sleeping at his house, too." My father adds lowly and I feel my teeth clench as I try to smile. They knew or at least suspected something. They had too, they were parents, and they weren't blind. Admittedly, I was at a loss. I had no idea how to proceed, and deep down, I wish Hiccup was next to me.

"Y-yes." I stammer out slowly, admitting to that, and clenching my eyes shut as I wait for the incoming verbal assault. No sense in lying, even if the truth prompted yelling. There was a long silence that followed which forced me to open my eyes and look at them. When I did, they were both looking at me, their faces awash with concern. My father had set down his mug, my mother had set down her needles and their attention was focused on me. I wanted to scream, to rush out of the room and back to Hiccup's house, to avoid this judgement. But I couldn't, I needed to face this, whatever it was.

"So… what?" I finally manage to get out amid their stares, unwilling to sit there in an uncomfortable silence for so long. It was perhaps my own thoughts that led to this as I groan. "Yes. I've been spending a lot of time with Hiccup. Yes, I've been spending the nights at his house. Yes. I've had a busy few days as he trusts me with tasks or wants me with him as he travels the town." I say, my voice growing slightly stronger as my apprehension turns into annoyance. "It's no secret that we will marry; it's no secret that we have a relationship. I just wish you would stop with this silent routine and actually say what's on your mind!" I exclaim finally, my patience breaking under their steady stare. Though, immediately after, I gulp and cover my mouth with my hand as I realize I just yelled at my parents which is totally out of character for me. Slumping back, I close my eyes and wait. This would be bad.

I hear my father let out a long sigh as I hear him placing his large fist on the table. "Astrid. Look at me." He commands and I swallow hard and nod, slowly opening my eyes expecting to see a furious expression lining both my parents faces. I was more than a little surprised by the looks I saw instead.

"Astrid, Hon. We're not going to judge your decisions. You're an adult woman now, and betrothed to the Chief of Berk. We blessed this relationship years ago." My father starts, his voice soft but strong.

"We are also your parents, and we may choose to ignore certain things, some things we cannot." My mother adds, looking to my father. "You two have grown closer in these past few days. It's obvious to us; in ways it is obvious to a parent when their child has outgrown their care." She continues and I feel my heart drop. Great, they know too. What in Thor's name was different? I internally groan in annoyance as they continue, for my answer was forthcoming.

"There are ways people move and walk, how they stand and sit with each other when certain milestones are crossed in their relationships. You and Hiccup display a level of affection and comfort that is akin to a married couple who has spent their wedding night together." She continues and I sigh. They were sure beating around this bush carefully, but maybe I should take that as a blessing that they didn't want to throw me out or anything. I only nod as my father adds.

"I can see it in the boy's movements around you. We just-" he pauses and looks to my mother who continues for him.

"We just want what's best for you and want you to be careful. There are certain expectations and traditions in betrothal and marriage that even a chief can hardly ignore." She finishes and I nod.

"We are, I am careful. And he is what's best for me. I hope you can see that." I say softly and they nod.

"We can certainly see that, and there is no doubting the respect he has for you." My father adds and I smile weakly. "Just be careful. And tell him I want to talk to him, soon, when he has spare time." He adds and suddenly my heart sinks. Great, a heart to heart between my father and Hiccup. My father may be no Stoick, but he was no slouch either. I nod in understanding.

"Now, go grab your stuff that you need, hon. You're still welcome here, though I have a feeling there is somewhere else you want to be." My mother adds and I smile. Getting up, I move to hug both of them.

"Thank you." I say simply and they nod. Running up to my room, I grab the scales in the chest and rush back out, Stormfly carrying me to Hiccup's house in seconds.

The house is lit with a fire and I can hear him moving around. I open the door softly and see him picking up around the house, he had organized since returning and moved all my bags up to his room. It made me smile. "Hiccup!" I call out and hear him shift as he comes down the stairs, I throw myself into his arms and just stand there in the doorway, holding him tightly. I feel a tear slink down my cheek, though I'm not sure why for I wasn't sad… maybe it was happiness.

"We've some things to talk about" I whisper to him and he nods, I can feel his apprehension and I laugh lightly. "Nothing bad." I say, pulling back to look at him in the eyes before pressing my lips to his for a long, tender kiss. Parting with a smile I nod, "I promise." And he smiles, pressing in and kissing me again. There'd be time to talk later, but for now, this was enough for me.


	15. Embers Risen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

The embers of the fireplace crackle and creak as a plume of flames rises when the heat makes contact to the fresh log placed on top of it. His arms tighten around my waist as I lean back into his chest, we'd been sitting in a comfortable silence since we each shared what our respective parents had to say. All in all, it was a good thing that we had those talks, it helped lay to rest some of our fears or concerns. Concerns we were going to fast or not being careful, fears we would be alienated from our families or must hide for the sake of tradition.

His breath tickles my neck as I feel him plant a soft kiss, causing me to smile, closing my eyes with a light but content sigh. I tighten my own grip on his arms as they tighten their embrace around my waist. Leaning my head to the right slightly, giving him more room to softly layer my bare neck with tender kisses.

"What are you thinking about?" He whispers against my neck and I smile. He knows, he just wants me to say it. Not that I have a problem with that.

"Us." I answer softly as his lips trace my neck. "The fact that we have the support of our families, even if its mixed with concern." I add softly as he pauses his kisses on my neck.

"It just means they care." He says softly and I nod. "What do you think… about this, us?" He asks, his voice cautious as I can only smile.

"I think that I liked the feeling of you kissing my neck." I say teasingly and he laughs lightly before resuming running his lips across my neck as I close my eyes. "I also think that we're right. That we're good for each other." I add in between soft gasps as I feel him bite softly on my neck. It hurt but felt surprisingly good as I grip his arms tighter. I wanted to ask him the same question, but I also didn't want him to stop. "That this" I say, pausing as I gasp, intaking breath as I feel him bite down a little harder then kiss immediately after, making me smile, biting my lip. I didn't know I'd like that. "That this makes me happy." Is all I can manage to say amid his displays of affection.

I feel goosebumps dot my skin as he continues giving my neck attention while I sit on his lap with his arms around me, the fireplace still burning with strong flames that fill the room with warmth. My eyes lightly closed and a soft smile on my face, I could spend every night before bed like this; just us, together. I feel his lips leave my neck and I internally frown but it gave me the opportunity to hear his thoughts.

"What about you, babe" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. Not to be quiet just because that was the mood of the house; it was soft, the sound of the fire cracking could be heard. And barring excessive gasps I made from his successful attempt to give me attention, we were quiet.

"I think that…" He pauses, running his lips across my neck again making me nearly gasp again before adding. "you belong right here, with me, in my arms. If I can be so selfish to say that." He finishes, his lips finding the spot he bit and tenderly kissing it again.

"That's not selfish, Hiccup." I answer between a soft gasp. "Pretty sure that I warned you about saying stuff like that." I say half-heartedly. It was an empty threat that was more of a promise.

"And I seem to remember being happy every time you tried to punish me when I have." He teases making me laugh, his lips still tracing my neckline. I had no idea this simple act could get me so riled up as I shift in his embrace

"I never said it was a punishment." I answer and he nods, I can feel his lips curl into a smile as they glide across my neck and shoulder.

"I didn't know you'd like this so much" He whispers, lightly kissing my neck again, me not even fighting the soft moan that escapes as I laugh lightly. I didn't know either, but I did. I could fall asleep in this embrace and dream nothing but the happiest of dreams with him.

"Hiccup, I like everything you do to me." I answer honestly without even thinking, my eyes still lightly closed. Then realize what I said and feel my cheeks flush red as I look at the fire awkwardly. "w-with me." I weakly correct myself, even though the first thing I said needed no correction.

"I like everything you do to me, too" Hiccup resounds my answer and makes me smile. I feel safe with him and can show a side of myself that no one else will ever know. This is a side of the both of us that is solely for each other. Here, with him, I could risk being passionate or tender. I could risk saying things like how he makes me feel, not just how he makes my heart feel, but how he makes my body feel, my soul and my mind.

In public, I was Astrid Hofferson, soon to be Haddock, the Battle Hardened General of Berk, Second in Command of the Dragon Riders and Future Chieftess. People who I've known my whole life were already looking to me for guidance. In private, with Hiccup, I was Astrid, his lover, his counsel, his escape from the darker realities we lived in and his support. With him, I could show him my arousal, my passion; I could give in to the heat in my body that drives me closer to him. With him, I am free.

I feel his hands trace up my stomach from their resting place on my hips as his lips pepper my neck; one of his hands finds mine, and the other finds one of my breasts. Softly, tenderly, I feel him massage it as he licks and kissing my neck, biting down softly before kissing it immediately after. I don't even fight the moan that escapes my lips this time either. I lived for feeling his touch like this, even if the days grew stressful, I knew the nights I shared with him would be pleasurable.

"Hiccup." I say softly as I gasp, feeling his teeth latch gently on my neck causes my eyes to roll back as I lean my neck over to give him more room.

"What're you thinking?" He whispers, teasingly, knowingly, tauntingly. He knew what I was thinking, I felt the heat growing between my legs as my own skin was riddled with goosebumps and my nipples becoming firm under his touch. Typical, really. He just wanted to hear me say it, again. And again, I didn't have a problem with it.

"That I'm almost to the point" I pause, turning my head to look at him, "Of having you continue what your doing upstairs" I coo to him in an obvious gaze. Leaning my head closer, I peck him lightly on the lips before withdrawing and smiling, my playful intent obvious.

"Almost to the point?" He repeats softly as he runs his fingers up my chest then back down to my waistline, his fingers tugging at my belt.

My eyes grow narrow as my smile widens with a mischievous curl. "Okay, I'll spell it out for you, Hiccup." I say softly, running my hand up to his shoulder. "If we don't continue this, upstairs, now. I may well get violent." I tease and he only nods with a smile.

"I seem to remember us being pretty on par with each other while dueling." He playfully answers and I snort a laugh.

"Oh, babe. I let you win those couple times." I challenge, remembering our time dueling on the Edge.

"We'll see" he pauses, his fingers tracing my arms as the goosebumps stay strong. "Who wins, this time." He whispers barely above his breathe as his lips glide across mine but never actually press into a full kiss. I feel my body shift as my hips wiggle, trying to get closer to his lips as he pulls back, I frown.

"Not. Fair." I say and he laughs, lifting me up and carrying me, bridal style up the stairs. "I can walk, ya know." I retort, not that I really mind the treatment. He'd grown so much stronger and adept in recent years.

"True, but I wasn't ready to let you go yet." He answers and I smile as he sets me on the bed. He slowly starts to strip as I stand and do the same. Tonight would be different, with a sleeping pair of dragons nearby and being actually in town. May as well get used to it, though, because it wouldn't be the last time, I swear to the gods on that.  
*********************************

We moved softly and deliberately, with intention and care. The fire from the fireplace dwindling down to embers, the house falls to a darkened state. If there was one downside to doing the deed here, it was that it was in darkness and I couldn't see her body as well as I could under Aurvandil's Fire. I've half a mind to light a lantern just to be able to see her eyes and body as we close the gaps between us.

I feel her arms wrap around my neck as I bury my face into her neck, my lips tracing her collar bone to the soft spot on her neck. Gently gliding my tongue across her neck, I bite down and hear her intake a sharp breath as she lets loose a soft moan. Her legs wrapped around my waist as we grind out hips together. There'd been no entry yet, as we strive to savor our passion. I can feel my stiffening member grinding against her slick entry, coating me with her heat fills me with the desire to slide it in fully.

"Hiccup." She whispers between a gasp and moan, her grip around my neck tightening as my teeth sink in just a little more before releasing and following up with a kiss. "P-please." She stammers softly, and I know what she wants. Her hips had begun grinding more vigorously, as if trying to force my member inside her herself, but I was playing hard to get. And I was, rocking with her hips just enough to let it slide against her without pressing inside of her. My teasing only lasted so long as I feel her fingernails dig into my shoulders, reaching up and using me as a lever, she bites my ear softly. "I'm about to get- ah, mm… violent." She teases. There is a longing in her voice as I bite down on her neck and press our hips together.

It takes a moment, but I feel the tip of my member find her entryway and I slowly slide just the tip in, her legs tightening around my waist as her hips rock against mine. Feeling bold or risk-taking, I smile and press it in fully, it sliding all the way in in an instant, slick with her heat it melded like a perfect fit and I heard her stifle a moan of pure pleasure. I felt her legs twitch as her hips started grinding up and down with mine, my member shifting and rotating within her, molding her to me.

Pulling gently out only partway, I slide back in and hear her gasp again as her fingernails dig into my back. She is fighting making sound and gripping me tighter to make up for it, not that I minded. There was something passionate about this time that we didn't have last time, maybe because we knew it was extra risky to do this within the village without being married. Not like either of us really cared at this point.

Tracing her neckline, my lips find her lips and I kiss her in a heated passion between her gasps as our hips continue to rock and grind together. As our lips part, I feel her teeth bite gently on my lower lip and can barely see her face in the darkened room, but she is smiling. I can see the reflection of the starlight in her eyes just enough to know she is gazing up at me as she tightens her legs around my hips and increasing her grinding.

Her soft pants were like a rhythm that I pulled out and slide back into with, working in unison with her as though we had been preparing for this our whole lives. And who knows, maybe, subconsciously, we both knew we'd eventually end up here together. Wrapped in each other's embrace, our bodies intertwined as we give in to our passion for each other. I can't say I dreamed these things would happen, well, maybe a little bit back on the Edge but threat after threat kept my mind from wandering too far. Here, there was no distance my mind could wander that my body couldn't take me.

I feel her slick heat continue to coat my member as I increase my rate of speed. Her pants and gasps for air becoming short and quick as the moans escape both our lips. Trying to maintain lip contact was impossible but feeling her heated breath against my lips as she moaned drove me wild. Her legs start to contract tightly around me as her grinding becomes more deliberate, each of her upward grinding matched perfectly with my downward thrusts. Maximizing how deep I was able to reach, and each one elicited a short and muffled moan.

"Hii-Hi-Hiccup. Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't." Her voice barely above a whisper in between her panting. She didn't need to tell me but hearing those words from her breathless mouth filled with such desire was something I yearned to hear more of; it drew out more of me. "Don't…. St—o-op" She says, her legs shaking as her back arches undermine, I feel her legs grow weak as her lock around my hips weakens. Her hips were still moving against mine as I was fighting my own urge to release inside her. I wanted nothing more than to let my own heat fill her to the brim, but knew we couldn't. We couldn't risk pregnancy so for now, I had to slow my rock to a barely moving ride as I fought the urge away.

Feeling her legs release entirely, she collapses under me and lets out a long, satisfied moan and looks up at me.

"Did you…" She asks softly and I shake my head, unsure if she can see me, but I plant a kiss on her lips as she sighs. "I don't think that's fair to you." She mutters as I roll onto my side and kiss her collarbone.

"It's okay, we agreed. And I don't want to risk getting you pregnant before we're ready. Especially with more trappers to deal with." I answer softly, I wasn't disappointed. I didn't need to release inside her to be content. Knowing I did that to her was enough for me to be at peace. She didn't seem to agree though, fortunately for me.

"We'll figure something out. I can always, um." She pauses in a whisper and takes my hand, licking my finger before taking it in her mouth to try and demonstrate it without being crude. I laugh softly and smile.

"That did feel amazing, but you don't need too every time. I'm content making you feel that way." I answer softly and find her lips. Her tongue glides across my lower lip, begging to meet my tongue as she rewraps her arms around my neck. Our tongues locked in a dance as our lips pressed fully together and our arms pulling each other closer, closing all gaps between our warm, sweaty bodies.

I had no other care in the world, just this beautiful, blonde viking woman who was wrapped in my arms. I'd never leave her, I'd never deceive her, and I'll strive to always please her.


	16. Trappers in Hysteria

Waking up next to her was different than before, and it was a feeling I did not soon want to lose. Her warmth next to me was perfect. Though, we had a busy schedule for the day, finding those Trappers being high on the priority list. Any extra time spent in bed with her could result in them getting further out of reach, so as much as I wanted to stay, I couldn't. Taking a moment though, I pull her closer, pressing her back to my chest and lightly kiss her shoulder as I feel her start to rouse with a light laugh.

"Good morning." She whispers and I smile, feeling her hand squeeze against mine.

"Good morning." I answer softly between light kisses and she rotates so she is facing me. Her smile unmistakable as dawn is nearly here and the dark sky above has been replaced with a dark blue hue. Leaning in, I place a soft kiss on her lips and watch her eyes shut. I'd never expected that I could make her this happy, but I'm glad I do.

"We've got a busy day." I whisper and she nods.

"Got some dragons to save." She adds and I smile. "Let's go." She finishes and together we climb out of bed and get dressed in our riding gear.

"Go wake the other Riders and meet me in the Great Hall, I'll get Eret." I say and she nods, planting a light kiss on my lips before hopping on the back of Stormfly and taking off. Looking over to Toothless who is fully harnessed up, he shakes his head and grumbles. "Alright boy, one quick lap then to Erets'" I say, and he hops over to me with a toothless grin.

Jumping up and clicking in, Toothless finally has the chance to spread his wings. Even Astrid's Deadly Nadder couldn't hope to keep up with Toothless when he wanted to go fast. We're just good sports most times. Going for a quick free-fall in the cliff near the house, he tightens his wings. His wings cutting through the wind making that customary Night Fury Shriek as he opens and darts up at sea level.

Barreling upwards, we take high in the sky and dive bomb to the other side of the island. Just as Alvin said, his ships were already on the Horizon headed back towards Outcast Island. It didn't take Toothless and I more than a couple minutes to round to the other side of the Island and find Eret's house. He had taken a little bit of time, and there were still a few people who didn't trust him, but he was, for the most part, acclimated into our town.

Landing softly, I knock on his door and wait a few minutes until the tattooed sailor opens it.

"Good morning, Chief!" He says with his usual accent and runs back inside, coming back with a piece of paper. "Got this last night, seems we may have a target to hit today after all." He adds, knowing why I was here and I nod.

"Excellent! Head to the Great Hall, Astrid is already rousing the other Riders." I say and he gives me a narrow glance and a smile.

"She's up early, did you wake her first?" He questions rhetorically as I shrug and laugh. "Good on ya, Chief. I'll be there in minutes!" He says and closes his door, I can see Skullcrusher shifting slightly in the stable attached to his house. Even my dad's dragon had taken to him.

Taking Toothless, we round the town and I can see Stormfly below flying from the twins to Snotlout's house. Fishlegs was already on Meatlug and slowly making his way over to the Hall.

"Fishlegs!" I should as he lands at the Hall and I land behind.

"Hiccup! So, do we have any news of the dragon trappers?" He asks and I nod.

"Eret has some intelligence he's gathering and bringing here." I say as we start making our way in. To my surprise, my mother is already in the Town Hall. "Mom, you're up early?"

"Oh, I don't sleep much anymore, Hiccup. Besides, I heard the sound of Toothless taking flight and figured you'd all end up here anyways. Hope you don't mind me listening in?" She says and I shake my head.

"Absolutely, I'll need you here to hold down the fort while we're gone though." I say and she nods as I hear the commotion of the others start to filter in.

"It's not even dawn yet!" I hear Snotlout exclaim as the twins laugh behind him.

"Yeah, who put you in charge" Tuffnut snorted and I could see Astrid's silhouette behind them.

"Uh, that would be me. I did." I answer, holding up my hand.

"Great. Chief Hiccup strikes again. You know she kicked me out of bed; like, literally? Foot, to Face." Snotlout groans, prompting everyone to laugh.

"And why did I do that again, Snotlout?" Astrid challenges, putting her hands on her hips and looking at the Viking. He holds up his hand then drops it as he slouches his shoulders.

"Eh, nevermind." He groans and continues walking.

"What about us?" Ruffnut began. "She almost threw water on me!"

"She did throw water on me!" Tuffnut answers and Ruff laughs.

"Haha, yeah, that was actually worth it." Ruffnut finishes with a grin as Tuff tackles her and Astrid makes her way to me.

"Next time, you're waking them up." She whispers, bumping her hip to mine and I just smile and nod.

"Okay, okay! Can we, focus?" I ask as the loud sound of Skullcrusher is heard landing with Eret walking in with several pieces of parchment. "And there it is. What're we looking at Eret?"

"My contacts point to increased activity south west, near Hysteria. Dangerous waters to try to tread in with equally dangerous inhabitants." Eret warns and I nod.

"We haven't had much contact with the Hysterics in years. Are they hiring the trappers?" I ask as Eret arrives at the table and lays out his dossier, shaking his head.

"No, they've been keeping to themselves. Trappers are operating independently in their waters, I doubt they even know about it. But the channel is wrought with Scauldron's and Seashockers, as well as the deadly Doomfangs. The waters are always turbulent due to those two dragons always battling for survival and the Doomfang taking what it wants." Eret says and I nod, glancing to Fishlegs who has a soft look on his face. I remember when we found the Seashocker in our cove on the Edge and it was being hunted by Scauldrons. We'd never encountered the Doomfang and I wasn't honestly looking forward to it.

"Do we know what they're after?" I ask.

"The Doomfang, specifically. According to this report by an old mate of mine, Vern. I tried pulling him out when I joined you lot but he insisted on staying in and giving me information. He's loyal." Eret affirms and I nod.

"Alright, mount up gang. We leave in fifteen." I say and hear a collective 'Yeah!' with everyone filtering out to ready their dragons and riding suits. I feel the clasp of Astrid's hand tug mine to the side of one of large standing pillars and smile as I feel her lips press to mine. "You okay?" I whisper as our lips part and she nods.

"Just wanted too." She answers with a smile, releasing my hand and I smile.

"Good enough for me, come on, let's go. We've got some dragons to save." I say, lightly pecking her on the lips and she nods.

"Right."  
*********************************

The wind cuts across my face as we soar high in the clouds, heading southeast as we target the waters around Hysteria looking for trappers there. We'd had so little contact with the Hysteric Tribe that I'd almost forgotten they even existed. The Hysterics were worse than the outcasts and Berserkers put together. Being insane, barbaric and exceptionally creative made them horrific enemies. We usually just kept our distance and sailed far out of their waters to avoid earning their attention.

Hiccup had given us the brief before takeoff about dangerous dragons that patrolled the northern sides of the Island that we don't want to tangle with. Some dragons are better left alone, and most Tidal Dragons were so unaccustomed to human contact and territorial that the idea of befriending them was a passing one. There was also the fact we really didn't want to attract any undue attention from the Hysterics. Their waters were turbulent and with the high cliffs, they only really left their island for hunting when the channel froze over during the winter. The fact these trappers were operating in those waters raised some questions and fears.

Who were they working for now that all the known major players had been dealt with? Viggo and Ryker were gone, Johann and Krogan were gone. To be fair, we never actually found out what happened to Krogan but if he worked for Drago, Drago wasn't very forgiving. Drago was gone and we never saw hide nor hair of Krogan so it only stood to reason he was gone as well. The question now was who we were fighting. Drago's trade didn't die with him, much like the Hunters didn't die with Viggo. Either someone else was pulling the strings or moved in to take over. Time would tell who, and hopefully this raid would give us some usable intel.

We had been flying for the better part of an hour before we saw Hysteria Island on the horizon, and just north was a pair of ships. We already had our targets. Hiccup gave the signal and we all landed off on one of the tall standing rock formations a ways northeast of them.

"Two ships." Hiccup says, pulling out his spyglass.

"So, easy. Let's just go in, roast them and free the dragons. Why are you trying to make this complicated, Hiccup? We've done this hundreds of times at the Edge." Snotloud complains and Hiccup sighs.

"Yes, we have. And whenever we rush in, we are usually taken by surprise with something. Like then they had those dragon-proofed ship. I'd rather we know what we were facing before charging in blind, that sound good?" Hiccup challenges and Snotlout sighs but nods. "Fishlegs?"

"Okay. Doomfang. Tidal Sea Class Dragon. Black Scales. Freezing Blue Fire. Attack, Fear and Flight at 9. Speed at 8 but still dangerously fast, especially in the water." Fishlegs says, reading one of the cards in his pouch. I'm never not amazed by those.

"Okay, so basically my worst nightmare. Like Ruffnut." Tuff said in a exasperated sigh before feeling the impact of Ruff's fist.

"Yup. My worst nightmare." Ruffnut said sarcastically

"Okay, guys." Hiccup sighs. "We do not want to tangle with the Doomfang. Let's just free any captured dragons, damage the boats to force them out of there and get out. If the Doomfang attacks, we'll fall back here." Hiccup says. "Questions so far?" He asks and no one answers. Complaining or arguing aside, it made me smile seeing how even people like Snotlout had grown to accept his leadership. He must've noticed me looking at him as our eyes lock briefly and he smiles.

"Okay. Twins and Snotlout. You're our distraction." Hiccup begins.

"Please say Wall of Fire. Please say Wall of Fire" The twins say together as Hiccup nods.

"Wall of Fire. Light them up, stop their movements. Snotlout, take out their sails and deck emplacements after the twins move in."

"Oh, yeah. We got this, eh Hookfang!" Snotlout says with a grin and smashes his fist to his palm.

"Fishlegs. You, Astrid, and I will be on deck freeing the dragons. You and Astrid take the ship on the right, I'll take the one on the left. If either of us finish before the other, help each other." Hiccup adds and we nod. I felt a pang in my chest. It was a challenge going in to battle without him by my side before but now, I felt a new level of anxiety.

We'd given in to each other, we were each other's future in a way that was unknown to most. It was different now, my mind wandered, and I suddenly felt like Valka. What if something happened; if Hiccup was taken by surprise? If he… gods forbid… dies? No. We'd survived too much strife together; we'd beaten the odds countless times and this time the odds were ever in our favor. No. We would be fine, and tonight I would go to sleep happy in the knowledge that we saved some dragons, and I was in his arms.

Toothless and Hiccup walked closer to Stormfly and I felt his hand grab mine from the saddle. "We'll be okay." He says softly with a tight squeeze and smile, making me smile as his soft green eyes gazed into mine.

"I know." I answer, we'd grown more in tune with each other. It's like he could sense my apprehension and knew just how to put my mind at ease.

"Alright, Riders. Let's go!" Hiccup calls out and everyone nods.

Barf, Belch and the Twins taking off first with Snotlout and Hookfang close in tow. Diving down to sea level, they approach the ships as Hiccup, Fishlegs and I ready to launch. This would be our first raid since losing Stoick, and his first as Chief. It had to go well. It just had too.


	17. First Strike

This takes me back to when we were battling the hunters or flyers and their ships with Viggo or Johann or the nearly countless other enemies we've faced over the years. We've sure come a long way as a people, as a group, as a couple. Flying high above, obscured just enough by the clouds that we could barely see the ships below, we glided, waiting for the sounds of an explosion. The clatter of iron and roar of dragons as our fellow riders begun their attack.

And as if on que, there is a massive explosion, and the two ships seem to be encircled by rings of fire that plum into a dark smoke. Taking our que, we dive down. I can see Hookfang's silhouette burn its way through one of the sails on the ship Fishlegs and I were dropping towards as the twins tore through the one on Hiccup's. The ships were easily a few hundred feet apart and as we get closer, I can see a massive net connecting them like they were trying to haul or catch something in the water. It only confirmed Eret's intelligence.

The roar and yells of the men as they rushed to the ballistas was echoing across the sea followed by an explosion of one of them being removed from play. We were lucky that the hunters did not seem to share their dragon proofing methods, otherwise raids like this would be much more challenging. I see one of the men on deck reach a net gun and aim it towards Fishlegs. Tapping Stormfly on the back of her neck she releases a single, pinpointed Spine Shot that punctures through the net gun, destroying it and sending the man backwards.

"Take out the Nadder and its rider!" I hear another one shout as we reach the deck. Fishlegs drops on one of the men rushing towards me with Meatlug and all we can hear is a groan of pain.

"Thanks." I say, looking to the cages on deck. They were full of various dragons. Several tidal class dragons but there were a couple strokers and even boulder class dragons. This ship had a large empty cage left, likely saved for the Doomfang and then they would be returning to their employers. Well, we'd see them return empty handed.

Fishlegs and I started on opposite corners, our dragons as our allies. These full-grown Viking men were duly displaced by a young Viking woman barely into her twenties and a moderately over-weight Viking man with the heart of gold. Running towards one, I leapt into a slide and slid past him as his axe attempted to cleave my head off. Brandishing my own axe, I hooked his leg and flipped him. Letting his own weight carrying him to a hard impact on the deck. One thing Hiccup was always sure to tell us that, while we were saving the Dragons, we were not trying to kill the trappers. If they died of their own accord, so be it, but we never went for the kill.

Bringing my axe up, I quickly thrust it forward and into the gut of another running towards me with a sword. His groan of pain as he keels over proof that we don't need to kill to win. The two on my side of the deck dealt with, I begin lobbing off locks in the dragon cages. First one belongs to a Nadder, then a Nightmare and a Changewing. I was quick to get out of their way as they flew out of their cages.

Fishlegs rounded the corner and shouted. "Nothing below deck!" I nod and he moves on to the other cages on his side.

I suddenly hear the heavy footsteps of another and turn to see a large but lean Viking approaching me with a pair of weapons on his back. Rolling back his shoulders, he unslings a single bladed axe and a sword and scowls towards me.

"Pfft. A frail woman like you besting my men. I will see this end, now." He says coldly. He reminds me of Drago but is far less boastful and much more to the point. Roaring, he rushes me, and I dive past him, tumbling and now standing behind him as I level my axe to block a blow from his. Hooking his axe with mine, I kick him in the side and yank his axe out from his hand. Looking at his axe as it spins across the deck, he laughs.

"Humph, apparently you're worth something after all. Let's see you keep it up." He scowls and attacks. I've learned not to engage them in verbal parlay, it usually was a means of distraction from the fight and I would not let this man best me.

He comes down with his sword hard and nearly knocks my axe from my hands as he grips the shaft of my axe and hefts it out of my hands. I feel a powerful kick impact my stomach and send me rocketing back.

"Humph, short lived. Imagine that." He taunts as I struggle to stand. Stormfly quickly appears and launches several spine shots at him which he parries as I climb on her back.

"Fishlegs, get out of there!" I call out as Stormfly takes off.

"Way ahead of you!" I hear him answer as Meatlug takes off. We had gotten the dragons off this ship, so we were clear, and I didn't want to tangle with that guy more than I had too.

"Shoot the dragon down!" I hear him call out from below me and Stormfly barely dodges a net that is catapulted up to us. I hear the twins laugh as they swoop down, leaving a stream of gas in their path that quickly ignites, sending the man back a dozen feet onto his back.

"Who in Thor's name was that?" Fishlegs asks as he pulls Meatlug up to me.

"I've no idea, but he is good. He acts like the leader of this group." I answer him. "He's a good fighter." I admit.

"No kidding! Where's Hiccup?" Fishlegs asks and suddenly my heartrate spikes as I look over to the other ship. I see the Monstrous Nightmare crawling on the main sail and a sudden explosion of fire followed by the appearance of his fire blade.

"There, he's on the deck!" I call out and rush over on Stormfly.

Hiccup is back to back with Toothless and surrounded by what seems to be a dozen men. They seem to be led by another larger man who Hiccup is talking too. The scorch marks of his flaming sword are circled around him. My breath finally recovered, I land next to Hiccup and Toothless.

"Ah, more Dragon Riders. You guys wouldn't happen to be the ones who ousted old Drago, would you?" The larger one asks and Hiccup glances to me and nods.

"He had it coming." Hiccup answers.

"Oh, no he did. Made our jobs easier to be honest. Drago was always a pain in the ass. With him out of the way, reorganizing our forces was easier." He answers.

"And who are you?" I demand, taking a step closer as Hiccup moves with me.

"Name's Ragnar. You've lost us a good bit of property on the other ship, but you'll not be doing that with me." He says coolly, almost jokingly.

"Why are you hunting the Doomfang?" Hiccup asks and I can almost see the look of surprise in his eyes.

"Who told you that?" He pauses and glances to his men. "We have a leak, boys, kill these kids and take their dragons. Then we have a leak to plug." He says sounding almost joyful as his men start laughing and getting closer.

"Be careful." Hiccup whispers and I nod. Then chaos erupts.

*********************************

They were prepared, not as though they expected us but as though they expected trouble. I guess traveling near Hysteria, one would need to be ready for trouble. We had little problem taking out their sails and most of their emplacements. Snotlout busy at work wiping out various net cannons while the twins, Fishlegs and Astrid were on the other ship.

The shriek of the Night Fury fills the air as Toothless dives and unleashes a pinpoint shot on an emplacement before we strike down and go for a landing. This ship didn't have any dragons above deck, which means it was either a support ship or the dragons were below deck. We were not leaving until we knew for sure. Racing across the deck, I see a large silhouette appear from below deck with what seems like dozens of men. Suddenly, Toothless and I are surrounded.

"Easy bud." I say, patting him on the side as I draw my Dragons breath blade. I do a quick spin, releasing the Zippleback Gas then ignite it for effect, stopping their advance. The bigger one just laughs.

"Cute toy, kid." He says as he draws a large axe.

"It's more than a toy. Where are you keeping the dragons?" I demand and he crosses him arms with a shrug.

"You'll have to find 'em. And You'll have to get through me first. We're not to fond of having our operations interrupted by kids." He says coolly as I hear the Deadly Nadder caw from above as Astrid lands next to me. I smile inwardly, here she was, at my side.

The next few minutes seem like a blur as suddenly the men level various weapons at us at his order to kill us.

"Hiccup!" Astrid calls out as a crossbow bolt is unleashed towards my face. It felt like slow motion as I heard her call out and watched the bolt barrel its way towards me. Bringing my blade to bear, I barely manage to deflect its path up and over us as we hear the roar of the men. They were charging us.

Astrid had no weapon, but she was able to dart out of the way of one of the trappers and take his. I parry the blade of another as I feel a powerful gust of wind as Toothless whiplashes his tail and knocks several of them over. Whomever these guys were, they weren't prepared for organized offensive between human rider and dragon as I hear the cry of Fishlegs as Meatlug barrels through another half dozen of them behind us and lends next to Astrid and I.

"Fishlegs! You and Astrid, go below deck and see that any dragons captures there are freed!" I shout out and see Fishlegs nod, but Astrid pauses and looks at me. I can see the look in her eyes, the apprehension, the fear. I feel it too; these guys were organized, and we were splitting up again. I smile softly and nod and she does the same.

"Come on, Fishlegs." She says and runs past me with him, and they head down below deck. I hear a hearty laugh come from behind me and Toothless and I turn to see the large one called Ragnar.

"Always dangerous to go into battle with a loved one, eh, kid?" He challenges, kicking one of his fallen trappers and taking his weapon, now duel-wielding a pair of axes. "You think it makes you stronger, but it only makes you weaker. More careless. Susceptible to mistakes where once you were a unit, you are now a couple within a unit. You know what that means." He says with a grin, slamming one axe head to the other making a loud ring that honestly hurt my ears a little bit.

Toothless must've agreed as he growled and prepared a pinpoint blast to lob at the man. "I agree bud, let's shut this guy up." I say and he only laughs.

"Oh, please. Try." Ragnar says as he rushes towards me. Toothless lobs one of his blasts but Ragnar is surprisingly quick and tumbles under it before standing tall in front of me. Coming down hard with his axe, I block the blow, barely, as the axe blade hooks with my flaming blade. "It's hard to believe Drago let himself lose to you." He snarls before I feel a deafening impact in my stomach from the head of the other axe that staggers me back to me knee.

Toothless uses his wing to parry the next Axe blade and then whiplashes his tail, knocking the man back again before following it up with a blast, blowing a hole in the deck from below.

"Hiccup!" I hear Snotlout shout from above and I shake my head.

"Take out the net!" I say, pointing to the net latched between both boats. It's odd, but I can even see a brief look of concern from him as well, but he does as told and starts dismantling the net with Hookfang. The Twins still visibly wreaking havoc on the other ship with Barf and Belch; since they didn't need to land anymore, all they were doing was walls of fire across the deck

I hear Ragnar groan and come to a stand as a gust of wind is felt near the hole in the deck. Astrid darts out with Stormfly followed by half a dozen more dragons they had kept below deck with Meatlug bringing the rear. I smile but my smile is short-lived as I hear a roar of frustration and feel the impact of another blow to my abdomen.

"You. Think. You. Can. Take. Our. Dragons?!" He bellows as I struggle to stand, barely dodging out of the way of each slice. Toothless was as taken aback by his display as I was as he tries to parry the axes and get closer to me so I can hop on but with how close Ragnar is, it's impossible for him to do anything without hitting me too.

"Yes." I gasp, parrying another hit. "I do!" I finish and let an entire canister of Zippleback Gas go before igniting it, engulfing both of us.

"HICCUP!" I hear Astrid's voice between the explosion and smoke as I find myself flying backwards. Toothless catches my fall and puts me on his back, but I can barely see. I feel another jump on Toothless's back and wraps my arm around their figure, it was Astrid.

"Come on, Toothless, let's go." She says and he grunts in acknowledgement and takes off.

"Wait.. What about the dragons?" I stammer, my eyes still partly closed from being fogged up by the explosions.

"We got them, Hiccup. You distracted that man long enough and his men for us to get them un-challenged." She says lowly and pats my hand. "SNOTLOUT, RUFF, TUFF! Let's Go!" She calls out.

"What—about Ragnar?" I ask again.

"You're blast sent him over the edge. Now hush, Hiccup. We'll get home soon, please just save your strength." Astrid says softly, squeezing my hand as she flies Toothless. I feel the pain from the multiple impacts and explosion finally creep in and my eyes go dark. I just needed to rest now.


	18. A Little Rusty

A sharp pain in my abdomen makes me keel over and open my eyes. The familiar setting of my house is a welcomed sight, how long had I been out? Last thing I remember was Astrid telling me we were on our way out and one of those big guys getting the drop on me. Was I really that rusty in my fighting that I let them get the drop on me like that? He didn't fight like a viking. Glancing around, I spot my riding suit in tatters with several gashes on the stomach side of it; he had hit to kill. I'm lucky my armor was sturdy enough to take the brunt of the blade. Wincing slightly, I edge to the bed and look around.

The house is empty and its just after dusk, I must've been out for several hours at least. Even Toothless isn't here. Gripping my ribs, I lift my shirt and see a heavy layer of Gothi's bandages with varying red marks seeping through. So maybe the blade did connect to my skin and draw blood. Setting my one foot to the ground, I spot my attachment next to the bed and attach it quietly.

"Toothless?" I call out to the quiet house, only for there to be no response. "Astrid?" I try again and am met with the same answer, silence.

My pain is quickly overwhelmed by my worry that something was horribly amiss; just what had happened since we got back? Where was everyone? Sure, I didn't expect everyone to by waiting at my bedside, but Toothless being absent was a sign of worry. Standing, I feel a sharp jolt of pain through my ribs and I furrow my brow and frown. Forcing myself to stand straight, I make my way down the stairs and head to the front door as I hear a couple loud thumps outside. Before I even make it to the door, it opens and Astrid is standing in the doorway, Toothless and Stormfly peaking beyond her.

"Hiccup!" She exclaims with a face mixed with worry and happiness as she runs to my side and hugs me gently. I wince softly but feeling her embrace was enough for me not to care."

"H-hey, are you okay?" I stammer through the wince and she scoffs.

"Really, going to ask if I'm okay?" She asks with a smile. "You should be resting, why are you walking?" She asks, her smile fading slightly and is replaced by a worried gaze.

"I'm fine. I just needed to see what happened." I answer and she shakes her head.

"Sorry, you need to rest. Come here." She almost orders and I don't have the urge to fight as she leads me to the table and helps me sit down. Grabbing a pair of mugs, she fills them with yak milk and sits next to me. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Passing out on the back of Toothless." I answer and she nods.

"Your diversion worked, you sent that Ragnar guy off the edge into the water and bought us the time we needed to free the dragons below deck. He was climbing back up as we took off." She explains and I nod.

"The boats?" I ask and she nods.

"The twins and Snotlout did a number on them; they were trying to make their way out of the channel with no means of capturing a Doomfang. Luckily the dragon itself never appeared, but I don't think they'll give up." She continues and I nod.

"They were prepared and good. I've gotten rusty in leading the Dragon Riders since being a Chief." I admit, looking away and Astrid shakes her head.

"No. You did everything you could have done. I'm more angry you thought it was a good idea to blow yourself up with Zippleback Gas." She says, scooting closer to me. I shrug with a half smile as our hips touch lightly.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time. He got me better than I expected." I admit and she takes a drink.

"Gothi seems to think he cracked a few of your rib bones. Nothing major, they should heal just fine with her medicine after a couple weeks of care. It could've been much worse. He was aiming to kill, if your suit hadn't held out, he might've succeeded and I-" She pauses biting her lip and looking away. I can see a tear speck form in her eyes as I softly wrap my arms around her.

"We made it. We're fine. We saved the dragons and you saved me. We're a team, Astrid." I answer softly and she nods, smiling and planting a light kiss on my lips.

"Speaking of, Snotlout and the Twins are up in arms with Eret. There's a commotion in the Great Hall, it's where I've been. They claim he set us up." Astrid says softly and I shake my head.

"Impossible. He wouldn't." I answer and she nods.

"I agree. Even Valka is having a hard time dissuading them right now, she wanted to be here by your side til you woke up but-" Astrid pauses and I glance to meet her eyes.

"But?" I ask.

"But, she said that was my place and not hers." She finishes with a smile that makes me smile in return.

"I've gotta get to the Great Hall, Astrid. I can't let them lob blame at one another. They were just well prepared." I state and she nods. "When I heal, I want us to start training again. You and I, like back at the Edge. I need to get better if I'm going to lead the People of Berk through these times." I say softly and I can see the concern in her face but she slowly nods in agreement.

"We'll do whatever it takes, Hiccup. I can't—I won't lose you." She answers quietly and I smile, pressing my head to hers.

"Never." I say simply and kiss her lightly on the lips. She presses in fuller, causing our lips to fully press as one of her arms snakes around my shoulder. I wince softly and she withdraws with a sheepish look of concern.

"S-sorry." She stammers and I shake my head.

"My father said the best way to work off an injury was to give it its due time to heal, and work through it so that while it healed, it didn't forget what it was healing to do." I say, and while it may not be the words of a healer, it was the words of Stoick. I'll be damned if I can't kiss her or anything for these couple of weeks. Pressing my lips to hers again, she responds in kind. I don't care what Ragnar said, we fight together, stronger than ever before. We'd beat him too without sacrificing our ideals, our team or each other. Breaking the kiss, she looks into my eyes with a fiery smile and nods.

"Help me to the Great Hall?" I ask and she chuckles softly, standing and helping me stand.

We leave through the front door with our dragons walking behind us. I take a brief moment to pat Toothless on the underside of his neck. "Thanks bud, I owe you one too." I say softly and he coos as we begin our walk to the Hall together.

True to her word, the Hall was bustling with sounds of anger among the riders. Time to be the Chief and make a plan... hopefully a better one than the last one.

*********************************

I was relieved to see Hiccup standing and talking, for there was a moment I feared the worst. When Gothi, Gobber and I removed his suit and we saw the impact from the axe blades, my heart sunk and I think, had the other Riders not been there, I would've lost it. I even heard Valka gasp when she saw it, she wanted nothing more than to run by his side with me but Gothi was adamant that he has room to breathe. Too many bodies around him would clog the air and Valka gave way for me to stay by his side.

Snotlout and the Twins were quick to point out it was Eret's intelligence, though I didn't care at this moment, I just wanted to see Hiccup recovered. The troubles at the Great Hall, the Trappers, it all seemed meaningless when I saw the damage. That Ragnar, he was just like Drago; he was aiming to kill. Valka had told me the story about how Drago nearly took her head off and only didn't because Stoick arrived just in time. Same can be said for this. One more hit and Hiccup might not have made it out, explosions aside. I can't believe he really blew himself up just to buy more time and distract Ragnar.

As we walk towards the Great Hall, the sounds of shouting fill the air, though most of it is from Snotlout and the Twins riling up everyone. When we finally crest the last step, I can see Snotlout standing on a table, holding an Axe towards Eret who has his arms crossed.

"You set us up! Admit it!" Snotlout cries out. "You nearly got Hiccup Killed!" He exclaims and I'll be honest, hearing Snotlout come to Hiccup's defense was a change in tune but not an unwelcomed one.

"I did no such thing. Why would I have done that, and if I did, why would I have waited around for you guys to come back?" Eret challenges.

"Good point…" Snotlout admits but re-levels his axe. "You still knew!"

"Oh-okay guys! Enough!" Hiccup stammers to speak as he pushes his way out of my support. It both made me worry but proud.

"Hiccup! You're walking!" Tuffnut shouts as the twins rush towards him. I intercept their advance.

"Yes, he is. Barely. Let's not tackle him to the ground unless you want a cracked skull. Got it?" I say rather coldly and he shudders. Ruff nods, pulling Tuff back. This was one time they weren't going to challenge me, I was not in the mood for their antics.

"Look, these guys, whoever they were. They were prepared. They were traveling in Hysteric Waters for Thor's sake. They had to expect some trouble." Hiccup says, trying to make light of the situation. "Eret, the one who I spoke too, his name was Ragnar and he mentioned a leak. I think your friend might be in danger." Hiccup adds, and I can't help but shake my head softly. More worried about a man he's never met than himself.

"I know, Chief. Vern has gone silent. I'll hear from him when the waters cool down, in the meantime, we wait." Eret answers solemnly. I can tell he is worried about his friend but can't admit it.

"Okay, Riders. In the meantime. We train. Tomorrow, I want everyone, including the Auxiliary Riders; my Mother, and you, Eret, at the Academy." Hiccup commands and I see a brief wash of concern filter through their faces as Fishlegs holds up his hand.

"Uh, Hiccup. I know we need to train but you should really be resting. You took a good hit." Fishlegs motions to Hiccups abdomen and he shakes his head.

"The waters around Berk and its neighboring areas are still riddled with Trappers who are out for blood. I will not rest while they are out there. I made a mistake. I underestimated them; I will not do that again." Hiccup answers, and I can hear the anger in his voice. Like with Viggo or Johann. He was angry at himself.

I lock eyes with Valka who nods lightly at me as I approach Hiccup and place a hand on his shoulder. "Hiccup, we will train. I will make sure they are training. But you should rest a little more. At least give it a couple days before you try getting back in the saddle. Please. For me." I plead to him and he turns his head to look at me. I can see the fire in his eyes die down as his furrowed brow relaxes and his expression softens as he looks down.

"Yeah, we'll train. I'll kick the aux riders into gear!" Ruffnut says.

"And I'll just kick them!" Tuffnut adds with a snicker.

"Uh, if anyone is going to kick the Aux Riders, it's me." Snotlout adds and as they continue playfully bickering, Hiccup looks back up to me and nods.

"Actually, The Aux Riders is Astrid's Riders; She'll determine how they train. Eret, consider yourself apart of that team now. Mother, you as well please. Astrid's my General so she will be taking command of the training. I expect you to listen to her better than you listen to me." Hiccup resigns. I can hear the disappointment in his voice; with himself.

"Gobber, please help see to the needs of the town and come get me if you need absolutely anything." Hiccup adds and Gobber nods.

"Ye got it, Chief."

"I mean it, Gobber. No guessing or anything. If you need me, please come get me." Hiccup restates and Gobber nods.

"I got it. I learned a lot when I tried helpin' Stoick. Been a busy few year, I can manage for a couple days. You make sure you get yer rest." Gobber states and Hiccup nods.

"Alright, you heard the Chief. Get some rest. I will see you at dawn in the Academy. Anyone who is late owes me fifty pushups. Think I'm playing, and it'll be a hundred. Got it?" I shout out and everyone snaps and nods. Even Eret nods.

"Thor almighty, I didn't know you could sound like that, Astrid." Eret admits and I shrug.

"Comes with the territory. Should hear the stories about what the Aux team went through when I first put them together." I admit with a laugh, even Hiccup chuckles.

"Eret." Hiccup says, calling Eret closer to us as Hiccup accepts me helping him stand. Eret moves closer and Hiccup extends an arm. "I know you didn't sell us out. I wanted you to know that. Don't take what the twins or Snotlout says to heart." Hiccup admits and Eret takes his hand.

"Thanks, Hiccup. Means a lot to hear that from you. I'm calling in a few favors to see if we can get more information about the men you and Astrid faced off against. Hopefully I'll be able to make up for this soon." Eret says and Hiccup shakes his head.

"Nothing to make up for. Go get some sleep." Hiccup says and glances to me before adding with a smile. "Astrid is merciless in training, trust me." He finishes and I roll my eyes but smile.

"It's true." I admit, remembering how harsh I was to him specifically during Dragon Training, then later to the Aux Riders.

Eret laughs and nods, everyone else filtering out, I glance at Hiccup. "Home?" I ask and he nods softly. "Do you… want me to stay, tonight?" I ask, looking away briefly and feel his grip around me tighten.

"There's no place I'd rather you be, Astrid." He answers, placing a tender kiss on my lips, sealing away any fears or doubts I might've had, I smile.

"Then let's go home." I finish softly and he smiles, and together with our dragons, we walk back to his house… to our house.


	19. Road to Recovery

Wincing from pain by rolling over in the middle of the night wasn't something I was accustomed too. It's as though I couldn't find a comfortable position to sleep in, and poor Astrid was just there trying to help me. No care for her own rest, all she did was try to comfort me. I felt most at rest when her body was pressed to mine and helped support my ribs; I could only lay on my left side but having her there with me made all the difference.

It seemed like no time at all before she rolled over and looked at me; I had trouble sleeping the whole night and she knew it. Pressing her lips lightly against mine, I couldn't help but smile.

"Did you sleep at all?" She asks softly and I shake my head.

"No, not really." I answer with a light smile and shrug. Her lips curl into a soft frown as she looks down towards my bandaged abdomen. After several seconds of silence, I nudge her nose with mine, drawing her attention back to me. "What?" I ask

"I'm sorry. I keep redoing what happened over and over in my head, thinking about ways I could've changed it or helped. I don't like seeing you like this." She answers with a sigh and I press my forehead to hers.

"Like what?"

"In pain. Struggling to sleep even with me here. Makes me feel powerless, I guess." She admits and I smile, pressing my lips strongly to hers. She reciprocates in kind and soon our tongues meet as our eyes lightly close. Biting her lower lip, I hear her giggle softly as our lips finally part. "What was that for?"

"Do we need a reason?" I answer with a smile and her face softens with a smile as she shakes her head.

"No, we certainly don't." She says and kisses me again. It was a good thing both her and I were accustomed to waking early. Even if I usually woke up before her, she still woke up well before dawn which gives us several minutes to enjoy each other's presence. On the plus side, while I couldn't sleep much, Gothi's herbs have helped me be able to move around without aggravating it.

Unfortunately, soon it was time for our lips to part and her to take point on training the riders back up to our time on the Edge. We couldn't afford another mishap, and while I feel it was mostly my own fault, we were still underprepared for what we faced, and we can't have that happen again. We need to treat these guys as though they were Hunters, as though they had dragon-proofed ships and were here to kill. Plus, we had to start considering what we were going to do with the dragons we saved. Berk could certain be a home for them, but it'd need a lot of renovation to accommodate a growing horde of dragons and the people.

Some things for me to consider on my forced days of recovery, Astrid begins to climb out of bed, but I grip her hand and pull her back and she giggles.

"Hiccup, I have to beat them there, ya know." She teasingly scolds me, and I just laugh and shrug as she looks at me, I steal the moment for one last kiss.

"Just wanted one more." I say softly against her lips and she smiles, nodding.

"Good enough. I'll see you tonight, babe. Try to rest." She says and I nod as she climbs out and gets dressed, heading out. As she leaves, Toothless crawls in through the roof opening and lays down on his slab of rock.

"Hey bud, I'm sorry that you're grounded with me" I say, looking over to the Night Fury that coos in acknowledgement before shaking his head and laying down. This time would be rough for Toothless, as well. I keep meaning to revisit giving him a permanent tail he can use by himself; like the one I made during our first Snoggletog together, but he aptly rejects the idea every time.

The day passed without much of an issue, though it was agonizingly slow for me. I heard no uproar within the town as Gobber manages without me and I hear the rush of wind as the Riders race around the island doing one of Astrid's many drills. Gothi had come by once to swap out my bandages but beyond that, the day was spent alone with not but my thoughts. Luckily, I'm usually good with those and spend most of it thinking on design plans for how to improve Berk and make it livable for a Dragon community and human community. Sure, we had dragons all over the place and stables, but if we were going to take on the trappers more aggressively, then their victims would need a home too.

I had images in my head of a large pillar with rotating perches that spiraled downward, a landing pad type thing to stop them from landing on the rooftops and to help them to the ground without crashing. Lanes in the streets that the dragons could use with higher ones that the people could cross and tall standing roosts for them to sleep in. My mind was flowing with ideas and while I couldn't put any of them to practice, I know what I'd be tasking Gobber and some of the other smithies around with when I recovered. I just needed to iron out the details. It was good having this to work on, cause while the day dragged on, it turned to dusk and soon after I heard the front door open to the house and in walks the light of my life.

"Hiccup?" I hear her call out and I almost jump out of my chair to go down to greet her, though I move a little slower.

"Astrid!" I call out and as I look down, I see her lips curl into a smile as she moves over to meet me at the bottom of the stairs in a soft embrace.

"You're moving." She says softly into my neck and I nod.

"Gothi was by earlier and changed the bandages. Says I'm healing well, so maybe it wasn't cracked, just bruised or something." I answer, holding her tightly she doesn't even try to break the embrace as we stand there. Feeling her laugh lightly, she pulls back just enough to look at me.

"I take it you missed me." She says with a light smile and kisses me on the lips. I only nod, returning her kiss.

"Ah, well you know me. Busy bee" I jest, and she rolls her eyes as I shrug. "Yeah, I did. A lot." I admit and she smiles as we walk to the table and she sets her pack down, we sit next to the fireplace and rekindle the fire. "So, tell me about your day?" I ask and she glances at me.

"You want to hear about the horrors I put them through?" She teases and I shake my head, looking into her eyes I take her hand and smile.

"Honestly, I just want to hear you talk. So, yes. Share. I'll share what I've been working on too. I've got a few ideas you might like." I add and she leans in, kissing me again and smiles.

"Deal." She says and leans softly back into me so my arms can wrap around her waist and her head can rest on my shoulder. It made me happy just to hear her talk about her day, and it sounded like a fun one for her to be sure.

*********************************

Both the Jorgensen's were late, which gave me the pleasure of making them drop and do pushups. Spitelout had grown accustomed to it but Snotlout was unfamiliar with it and complained, so he got to do 100, which made his father laugh. Nothing quite like watching those two compete, it was entertaining to say the least.

Everyone else had arrived just as I was flying in, I'm glad Hiccup let me go when he did or one or two of them might've actually beaten me here. Not that it wasn't for a good reason. Smiling inwardly as I greet them all, I lay out the plan.

Starting the morning off with a race around the island to warm up our dragons. I won, but Spitelout got close on his Nadder, not close enough to worry me but enough to impress me. Maybe he was actually training with his dragon in his off time. Following that, we did target practice in the academy and then some aerial engagements. Hiccup's riders acted as the bad dragons for the Aux riders, and experience aside, it was even for the most part. Eret and Skullcrusher along with Valka and Cloudjumper really evened the odds dramatically in the Aux rider's favor that I ended up putting Valka on Hiccup's team to make up for it. Then it was back to them having the advantage which was fine.

Using a few damaged ships that were beyond repair, we practiced attack runs and dodging maneuvers as though we were being shot at. While it was a far cry from the real thing, it was good to see how they reacted when I called things out and made points to work on it later. This was only day one, and we'd be training like this for at least a couple weeks before Hiccup felt comfortable with us going back out there.

My mind drifted during the training, I've no shame in admitting it. I constantly thought back to Hiccup and how he's grounded for the first time in years; how he almost was killed by a lunatic. Gritting my teeth, I push the riders harder, if I ever ran into that Ragnar again, I'd see him pay for that. It was like Viggo and Ryker all over again, always aiming for the kill. Even if they missed, they still got too close for comfort and now. Now there was too much on the line. We had built a small utopia on Berk with our Dragons and humans living peacefully; Hiccup and I had become one in heart, body and soul more than once. I had even more to fight for now and I would fight for it to my last breath.

Dusk approached quickly as the dragons and their riders were equally exhausted, even Valka looked winded.

"Alright, Riders. That's it for today. Rest and feed your dragons and yourselves. Bring lunch tomorrow, I've got a couple nighttime drills planned for tomorrow." I ordered and I heard a collective groan from most of them but no challenges. Valka walked up closer to me as everyone else was filtering away.

"You lead them well, Astrid. Hiccup was right to place his faith in you. You two believe in each other and it shows." She says and I smile.

"I do believe in him, and I know he believes in me. I just wish he didn't have such a hard time believing in himself. He always takes the blame when something goes wrong, never tries leveling it at anyone else. I just don't want it to sour him inside. He strong, he's brilliant." I explain, maybe to myself more than to his mother but she just nods in agreement.

"I know. I heard some stories from…" she pauses and looks away before continuing. "… from Stoick when he found us. How Hiccup had changed Berk for the better. Being here for this past month, I've seen it. It's only getting better, maybe a little crowded with all the dragons but that's workable." She laughs lightly and I nod.

"Even the people of Berk have grown to accept him for the most part." I add. "There's been a few naysayers but they are quickly squelched by the others. It makes me glad to see. Hiccup may be no Stoick, but they know he has their best interests at heart." I finish softly, grasping one of my arms and looking away.

"He's your interests at heart too, ya know." She says, as though she's trying to reassure me and I look back at her and smile.

"I know. I'll never leave his side for long, and I trust him to stay by mine." I answer and she nods. "What… about you, if you don't mind my asking?" I say sheepishly and her shoulders drop softly.

"Stoick was the only man for me. I shall not take another." She admits and I nod.

"You two were both so dramatically different though, Stoick was a warrior who battle dragons to the death, and you were always advocating for peace. A lot like how Hiccup and I started…" I admit, not sure where I was going with this train of thought. It certainly wasn't doubt but it could have been fear. Her light laugh made them vanish.

"We were different, and we accepted that we made each other stronger for it. Much like you and Hiccup. You're both so different in many ways, but you two are like puzzle pieces that line up perfectly, I'd daresay more so than even Stoick and I." She admits, making me smile as she approaches closer, placing a palm on my cheek. "We may have been different, but we've both always had the highest of respect for you, Astrid. He was not wrong then, and he is not wrong now. You are the daughter we've wanted, and I am proud to see you with my son. Don't ever doubt that; doubt can lead to dangerous places. Regret; Disdain; Anger. None of those have a place in a relationship, my dear." She says and I nod.

"I do not doubt that Hiccup and I should be together, nor do I doubt my love for him; and I do not doubt his love for me. We, uh, shared a dance recently. And wrote our own song, like the one you had." I admit and I see her face light up with a smile.

"Oh, my dear! You must tell me it! No, wait. I want to be surprised when I see it at yer wedding! Have you picked a date for that yet?" She asks, now suddenly hyper and I laugh and shake my head.

"No. We've both agreed that while there are still trappers and dragons in danger, its better to deal with the threat now and marry later. We're still too young." I admit and she scoffs.

"Nonsense. I was barely twenty when I married Stoick. But I understand. We weren't fighting with humans at that time, just dragons." She says and pauses with a light sigh. "I expect that question to come up a lot in coming months. Don't let it stress you out."

"Gobber asks almost daily. Makes it really awkward sometimes." I admit with a sigh and she laughs.

"Yes, he is not known for his tact, to be sure. Either way. I think I've kept you long enough, Hiccup will be glad to see you tonight." She says and I smile. Taking off, she heads to her hut with Cloudjumper as I take Stormfly to Hiccups.

Toothless isn't outside which means he is likely inside. Escorting Stormfly to the small overhang, I give her some chicken then head to the door. Opening it, and calling out to Hiccup, I am greeted almost immediately by the sight of a smile that honestly warms my heart as he makes his way downstairs to greet me.

Now to wrestle with telling him about the talk with Valka or not, but that could wait. For now, he was happy to hear me talk about the training regime I put them through which made me smile. Settling down before a nice fire, his arms wrap around me as I place my hands on his, leaning back into his left side away from the injury and letting loose a soft sigh.

"Honestly, I just want to hear you talk. So, yes. Share. I'll share what I've been working on too. I've got a few ideas you might like." He admits softly and I look over, kissing him with a smile.

"Deal." I answer and then sit in a silence a moment, just watching the fire as I feel his warm embrace wash away the day. I start to feel his lips trace my shoulder and neck causing my eyes to close and my smile to widen.

"So?" He asks quietly in anticipation and I let out a long, content sigh.

"In a minute, I'm just enjoying this for a moment" I admit softly with my eyes closed. His lips still tracing my neck and his warm breath giving me goosebumps I hear him chuckle.

"Enjoying what." He teases and I laugh lightly.

"This, right here. Just us, right now." I say, squeezing his hand as he resumes his tender appreciation.

I'd tell him of my day, and he'd tell me of his but for now, I was content like this.


	20. Healed Well Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

The next week seemed to fly by for me; my days being dedicated to training the riders and my nights being dedicated to Hiccup. Even the days were starting to fly by for him as he begun drawing up huge designs for improvements to Berk to allocate for the potential influx of dragons. He was moving a lot more aptly now too, wincing less, sleeping more. The wound from the blade nearly completely gone and our nights were spent in each other's embrace.

Still, each morning was its own challenge to have to leave his bed and go train without him, but on the plus side, the riders were showing vast amounts of improvement. Hiccup relished in listening to me talk about the day, how I challenged the Jorgensen's, or the twins did something crazy. Fishlegs, for the most part, was helping maintain some semblance of control, along with Eret and Valka. Gustav was older but still a kid at heart and acted like it a lot. He spent most of the training sessions trying to impress either Ruffnut or I with his acts of dashing bravery. It made for a solid laugh every night with Hiccup.

Gothi had given up being a member of the Auxiliary Riders to ensure the healing hut was always staffed. Random cuts and burns were far more frequent than a few years ago, but much less severe. Where she used to treat amputations, she now treated minor gash wounds from people playing a little too rough with their dragons. Plus, it allowed her to help Hiccup throughout the days, who was spending it mostly in his house.

Hiccup told me of a couple times he was allowed to leave the house during his healing process by Gothi; he said allowed with a hint of sarcasm because that little woman could really swing a stick. Gobber had needed help officiating an exchange between Mulch and Sven when they were arguing. Luckily, both were quick to reach a decision with Hiccup. As we sit together and describe our days, I realize what Valka said struck true.

I am no where the negotiator Hiccup is, and my anger can flare. He is not the fighter I am, but he has proven he will fight for what he loves. Together we make a perfect match of prowess and negotiations that few can aptly match. And just making that realization helped me work through these days where we were apart for most of them.

The night trainings I had planned sometimes went close to midnight, though every time, when I came back to the house, he was there. Waiting with a fire lit, food heated and cooked and working on some sketch of his. He never slept before I got back, always stopped what he was doing even if he was mid sketch when I got in. If this were the type of married life that I could expect from him, its something I could get used too to be sure. Though he would not always be stuck in the house, and rightfully so. It's the attentiveness; it's as though I was the most important part of his day, idea or crazy event aside.

It wasn't always that way, and I remember the aching feeling of being forgotten about for some secret project back on the edge or the dragon lenses. It had changed so dramatically since thing, he had said he was taking me for granted and sure, for a little while I may have felt that way, but it wasn't the case. I do not think for a second that he was anymore, we were just constantly in peril, looking for the next edge over Viggo or Krogan that our relationship had to put on the sideline. That is how I reasoned it anyways but ever since the Armorwing Dragon that we saved; he's never not given me attention. Like there has been born a balance of work and love.

Tomorrow would be different, Gothi had given him a tentative clean slate of health and he was eager to get back into the air with Toothless. But that was later, for tonight, it was just us. I can still feel his arms tightening their embrace around me as we sit staring at the fire. He had just told me about a refined design for different dragon stables and fire control systems and I had just finished telling him about my day. We were sitting in silence and I had a soft smile on my face with my eyes lightly closed as I feel his lips still tracing my new favorite spot along my neck, until they stopped. I heard the hitch in his voice, and he took in a breath.

"Astrid." He says softly and I turn my head to look at him.

"Mmm?" I mumble in acknowledgement, asking him to continue his thought.

"Thank you." He says simply with zero context. I almost wanted to hit him when he did that.

"For what?" I ask, staring into the fire.

"Being here. Five years ago, if anyone told me that in only five years' time, I'd be sitting in front of a fireplace holding you in my arms, I wouldn't have believed it. I couldn't have. Trials and challenges aside, I wouldn't change any of it if it meant changing this."

"Wouldn't change any of it?" I ask solemnly. It was sometimes easy to forget he had lost his father barely a month and a half ago. Glancing over to Stoick's empty chair where his mug still sits, I close my eyes and he tightens his grip around me.

"Any of it." He reaffirms to me. "I miss my dad. But I take heart in knowing he sits with the gods and the other great Chiefs. And I take heart in knowing that we would, that we do have his blessing." He says then I wince slightly and shift.

"Speaking of" I begin, pausing and turning to fully look at him. "My father wants to speak with you the next time you have free time. I would've recommended sooner but he insisted it be after you recover." I admit finally. I had been sitting on that gem for a week now, the raid, the visit from Alvin, none of it seemed like a good time, then with his injury.

"Oh, boy… should I be concerned?" Hiccup asks in partial jest, but I shake my head.

"No- I mean, I don't think so. They've already given us their blessing already but they also… suspect." I admit softly and his eyes narrow as his brow furrows before the shoot wide with fear. The abrupt change almost made me laugh to be honest.

"What? You mean, us. Like, us? How-how, how did they, do they know?" He stammers in his classic nervous response that does make me laugh softly. I place a finger on his lips, and he quiets down and his arms relocate my hips.

"According to them, they are parents." I answer and he scoffs.

"Yeah, that's basically what my mother told me. 'A mother knows, son' or something like that." Hiccup sighs. "I'm glad that we have their blessing, though."

"I agree. When do you think you'll talk to him?" I ask slowly and he shrugs.

"Probably tomorrow. We're giving the riders a break anyways from your torture trainings and afterwards you and I can just go for a flight, just us and our dragons." He jests with a nudge and I scoff, rolling my eyes.

"Who said that? Snotlout? The Twins? Maybe Gustav?" I say sarcastically as he laughs.

"Ah-ha, Fishlegs actually used that term when I saw him during lunch the other day."

"Fishlegs! Wow." I say, not hiding my astonishment that Fishlegs of all people would say that to Hiccup. But it was probably during one of their dragon geek-out sessions, Fishlegs had sent a Terrormail to the Berserkers about the Doomfang and must have gotten something back. "What else did he say?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at my lover.

"That was it about the training, and he used it cause apparently that's been what Snotlout and Spitelout have been calling it. He came to give me an update on the Doomfang." Hiccup states and I smile knowingly. I loved that I knew him so well. "What're you smiling at?" He questions and I shrug.

"Just how well I know you. We're good for each other, babe." I say, planting a kiss on his lips.

"Yes, we are." He answers against my lips with a smile as I feel one of his hands trace the back of my head and filter through my hair, pressing our lips together again for a long moment amid the fire. After a long, breathless kiss, we part to regain our breath and I smile. My face flushed red and eyes gazing into his, I bite my lip.

"Speaking of, how's the wound?" I ask meekly with a smile. I'm not one to submit, but I have no shame in showing this side of me to Hiccup, not anymore.

"Much better; well enough that I can probably carry you up to bed again." He answers with a smile and I swear, I cannot stop it as my tongue traces my lower lip I nod.

"Well enough to do more than that?" I ask suggestively and he nods.

"Definitely." Is all he says before his grip around my hips shift and tightens as I feel his arms snake around my legs and back, standing up and carrying me up the stairs. I usually hated being carried like this, and I would never in public, but in private. On the way to our bed, I'd allow it, I'd always allow him like this.

*********************************

There was plenty to be thankful for on this night; my wound had been mostly healed, my people were fed, and content and I was with the most beautiful Viking in all the archipelago. Her beauty was intoxicating, her smell was ravishing. In the hue of the firelight her eyes seemed to sparkle into nearly a violet hue as the red firelight dances against her sapphire eyes. It made me wonder which of the gods I had appeased to earn this woman's love; or if they had anything to do with it at all and it was merely that she loved me. I dare not say, but I dare not question it either.

The night was a beautiful one, and Toothless had no qualms about moving outside as Astrid and I made our way up the stairs. The dragon had been present on one such night, but kept his attention diverted. This time, it seems, he was all too happy to let us have the room and house to ourselves.

"Think he knows?" Astrid jokingly laughs as we make our way up the stairs, my eyes finding hers as I just shrug.

"Who knows." I answer with a smile as I place her on the bed. She slowly starts to unhook her bindings until my hands find hers and I push her back on the bed, laying on top of her and pressing our lips together. She stifles a laugh that is quickly replaced with a soft moan as our tongues don't even need to ask to meet before they are dancing together between our lips.

One of her lips propped up as I feel her hips grinding to mind with a sense of longing. As our lips part, she looks at me breathlessly and smiles. "I've missed this." She admits and I smile.

"It's hardly been a week?" I counter, though I could not hide that I missed it as well.

"That's already too long" She says wish a light gasp as my lips find her neck and bite down. I feel a pressure on my ribs but no real pain, telling me I am clear to proceed. "Hi-hiccup" She stammers between gasps as I apply light kisses to the area I had just bitten, my tongue tracing the mark. We were careful, and I only ever bit down where she could hide it the next day. "I'm- We're still dressed. I've a problem with that." She playfully says, pushing me up and I put a finger to her lips and relish in the look on her face as I do.

"Please, Astrid… allow me." I say simply and her gaze changes to a suggestive smile as she leans back on the bed and lets hers arms rest, she knew full well my intentions and I had just been given the nod of approval to continue. So, continue I do.

Slowly unlatching each of her straps, I remove her shoulder pads first, and her necklace. She wore the one I made her every day since I've given it too her. It lands perfectly between the red vest, which comes off next as she raises her hands and smiles. I gently place the necklace on the table next to the bed before continuing. Article by article, I slowly remove her clothing, giving each portion of her body due attention as I do. My fingers trace up her arms as I remove the laces. My lips trail across her chest, to each of her breasts; my tongue lightly tracing each of her nipples as I undo the under sashes that protect her chest.

Moving lower, I remove her knee pads and start unstrapping her skirt. Her boots had come off hours ago, which allowed for her skirt to slide right off. Kissing her waistline, I hear her gasp as my fingers find the leggings and slowly tug them down. Revealing her lower body inch by inch, my lips trailing her leggings as I slip them past and off her rear. The gentle candlelight illuminating her as I work, still sliding her leggings down slowly, I allow my lips to trace down further in between her legs.

I hear her let out a soft gasp as my lips make contact with her most sensitive area followed by a light moan as I slide my tongue across it. Her leggings all the way to the floor, I glance up to her and admire her naked body as it lays bare before me. Just as it was at the Spring, just as it always has been. Her very presence was intoxicating, she had come to use a beautiful flower from Gothi's herbs which resonated with her smell when I was this close to her which was alluring.

"Hiccup." I hear her say beneath her breath. Hiking her legs under my arms and settling on my knees I take one more look at her body as she lay back on our bed and smile. Moving closer, I lace her area with tender kisses before trailing her slit with my tongue. Her back arches at the attention as she rocks her hips. I can see her grab at the blanket and clench as moan escapes her lips. Tenderly moving my tongue around her as my lips caress her, her legs involuntarily seem to lock behind my head, and I smile. She need not do that, there was no place I'd rather be at this moment.

I feel her hips rock against my attention, her taste as it was at the spring, perfect to me. I hear her gasps as she takes sharp intakes of breath while stifling moans, her hips rocking as I slip one of my fingers and move in with my tongues gentle caress. Softly, repeatedly, I hear my name murmured from her lips as her back arches and she begins to shake, her legs going soft as I taste my handiwork.

Trailing my lips upward, I kiss to her nipples and give them each a bit of attention as she hips slowly calm down and I feel her hands on my shoulders as she pulls me into a kiss.

"You're turn" She says softly against my lips and I shake my head.

"No way, you've been taking care of me for a week. Let me take care of you…"I pause, pecking her lips and resting my head against her forehead. "tonight." I finish and she smiles. Crawling back on the bed completely, it doesn't take me long to completely disrobe as I was wearing nothing more than house wear, and soon I was crawling on top of her. Her warm body pressing against my as I lightly peck her lips again and kiss down to her neck, finding the spot I had bitten earlier, I bite again and hear her gasp and release a long, steady moan.

I feel her legs lock around my hips as she presses her hips up against mine and looks into my eyes with a longing, tantalizing gaze. I press my lips to hers and grind my hips with hers against the bed, my member already stiff and ready but not entering yet as I press it against her area. Breaking our breathless kiss, she bites her lip then reaches up and bites my lip softly before pulling back.

"Please." She whispers. It was such an enticing tone, she wasn't asking, she was demanding in the most playful way possible. She knew I wouldn't say no; that my stiff member was about to slide inside her area. She knew what she wanted, but she said it anyways. She said it for me, because she knew what that tone did to me; it made my member throb and our hips involuntarily rock together. Like our minds were losing control to the desires of our bodies and barely able to keep hold. Like that one word is what breaks the dam; and it was.

Leaning down, I kiss her passionately, feeling her moan as our tongues caressed each other. Sliding one of my hands down, I guide it into her slit without looking down or breaking the kiss. If I suffocated from this it would be worth it to me. I feel her area contract around my member as her hips grind against mind and her legs tighten behind my back. Slowly our hips rock and grind together, picking up speed but keeping close. My member doing the familiar motion of pressing in fully within her, exploring her every inch as she moans. Gripping my neck, I feel her teeth bite down on my shoulder and a moan escapes my lips as she returns what I've been doing to her in kind. It hurt, a little, but the pain was washed away with the passion and sensation of feeling our bare bodies grinding together vigorously. My hips rocking, pressing her deeper into the bedding as she grinds up against me, her legs starting to shake as I feel my own passion and heat begin to build up.

How I longed for the day when I could release within her. Perhaps something else I need to work on, something that'll let me do that… maybe there is an Herb for fertility… these thoughts wash away as I hear her gasp and moan my name. "Hiccup. Hi-hiccup. Keep going. Please. Keep. Ah. Hiccup. Mmm" Her voice trembles as she bites down on my neck again stifling a moan so the sound does not travel, her fingernails tracing my back as she grinds up and presses against my hips hard as her passion erupts again, her legs going weak as they shake. I feel my own passion about to erupt and quickly withdraw as her legs unlock while they tremble.

Unfortunately, not swiftly enough as my seed layers her stomach as her hips continue to shake. Sitting back on me knees I run my hand through my hair.

"S-sorry." I sheepishly say and she shakes her head, running her finger across her stomach brings it to her lips and tastes my seed.

"No need to apologize, babe. We needed that." She says with an alluring smile and I smile. We definitely weren't the average Vikings, that's for sure. "I could use a towel, though." She admits meekly and I nod. Getting her a towel, I help clean her up and she then takes it, sitting up on her knees and wipes me down as well.

I feel her finger trace along my member and up my stomach, gently around the wound that was mostly gone, up my chest and finally to my lips. Leaning in, she kisses me and pulls me down on top of her.

"I love you." She says softly against my lips, kissing down to my neck I smile do the same.

"I love you." I state to her. "And I always will." I add, kissing and gently biting her neck as she moans again.

I don't think either of us realized until that moment how much we missed each other's touch in that way. Sure, for the past week we had fallen asleep in each other's arms, but after giving into each other then being unable to for a week was tantamount to torture for us. So long as we could help it, we'd end each night like this, maybe begin each morning like this if time permits.

The thoughts of breaking tradition, of doing this more than we should, more than for the sake of reproduction but for the sake of giving into each other completely. For our own passion and longing for each other; knowing it went against tradition, knowing we might break the rules in the future in more ways than one. We had only just begun to explore each other and our bodies, and there were likely nearly countless ways we could experience each other. And we'd explore them all, together.


	21. Back in the Saddle

My nights had become much more peaceful in the recent week, my wound aside, having Astrid at my side made all the difference. Waking up each morning to her warmth against my body was relaxing, relieving and, above all, genuinely amazing. We were both relatively light sleepers and I usually woke up before her, though every time I did, every time my grip around her tightened and pulled her that much closer, her soft laugh filled the room.

"Good morning" I whisper against her bare shoulder, kissing her lightly as she laughs lightly and shifts closer, pressing her back and rear against me and locking her foot with my leg.

"Good morning" She answers, her hands finding mine around her waist as she grips them tighter and lets loose a small moan of contentment as my lips trace her neck. "I love waking up like this." She whispers and I smile, still tracing her shoulders.

"Me too." I answer softly and hear her release a long breathe as she presses back against me, any gaps between our bodies gone. This was perfect; I could fall back asleep like this in a heartbeat, with our naked bodies pressed together, her warmth radiating with mine. It's still dark out, the sun has yet to crest the horizon as I feel her shift and roll over, now facing me.

I can see the outline of her face in the dark, her eyes are open, and a smile lightly lines her lips as her arms find their way around my neck and she pulls herself even closer. Pressing her head to my chest, I place a light kiss on her forehead. I feel her arms release from my neck, and she places them on my shoulder as she rolls me onto my back and lays on top of me, shifting the blanket so it's hooked to her shoulders.

"Hope you don't mind." She says teasingly and I shake my head.

"Mind what, having you on top of me? Not even remotely." I answer with a smile, my hands tracing her thighs and up to her hips as she brushes her hair our of her eyes and leans down. Pressing our lips together, I grip her hips and trace her lips with my tongue. I could get used to waking up like this. As our lips are locked, I feel her hips slowly start to rock above mine and smile.

"Now?" I whisper against her lips, my hands helping to guide her hips. She lets out a soft moan as her tongue traces mine before she answers.

"Can't think of a better way to start the day." She whispers, near breathlessly and I smile. It is a great way for us to start the morning, give in to the throws of passion. Drink in each other's presence; we wouldn't always be like these, but while we had our youth, we would be. I would never not have time for her, and I will always strive to please her.

The sunlight from dawn came quickly amid our bed level tumbling and we took our time getting out of bed for the first time in weeks. I had something I wanted to take care of as soon as I could, but didn't want to rush the conversation so, I was glad for this extra time with Astrid in the morning.

Still laying naked in bed, our arms entwined as our lips playfully bite and peck each other's, we'd grown much more passionate since giving in initially. Smiling, she shakes her head as she looks at me.

"Is it weird to say I could spend all day, just like this?" She asks rhetorically and I just smile, shaking my head.

"Not at all. I'm content to make it to where, at least once a week, we can." I say playfully and, horsing my voice, add "I hereby declare a weekly day of rest." I finish and she laughs.

"Yeah, Vikings, rest. We're not exactly… resting." She adds with a shrug and soft bite of her lip and I smile, nodding in agreement.

"We're certainly expending energy" I tease, and she blushes. "So, I'm thinking I'll go have that talk when we get out of bed." I add and she nods, placing a light kiss on my lips.

"Do you want me there?" She asks softly and I smile. "Want, yes. But I think I should do it alone. I want your father to be able to speak freely without changing his words because you are there." I answer and she nods in understanding.

"We can stay like this a little longer?" She says softly and I pull her against me and smile.

"I was thinking that same thing." I say, my lips finding hers again and we lay there together, stealing an extra few minutes before the sounds of dragons cawing becomes prevalent. It was time to rise, and time to have the talk I should've had a week ago.

I left the house before she did and, hopping on Toothless, took a quick flight around the island so he could spread his wings before landing in front of Astrid's parents' house. Taking a gulp of air, I approach the door and knock, waiting with a fair degree of concern of what I'd be facing upon entering. The door opens and I'm met by her mother, smiling I nod my head.

"Good morning, Lady Hofferson, is your husband home?" I ask and she smiles, walking to me and embracing me in a hug which made at least some of my concern vanish.

"Good morning, Chief Hiccup. Yes, he is inside. Come on in." She says and leads me to the table in the main room. Pouring a class of yak milk, I hear the thump of heavy footprints as the tall blonde Viking man descends the stairs. Standing, I greet him.

"Good morning, Mr Hofferson." I say, extending a hand which he takes, further decreasing my fears as he nods.

"Morning, Chief. How is your wound?" He asks, walking past me and sitting down with his wife as I take my seat.

"Much better. I should have come sooner; I feel like this is overdue." I admit and he nods lightly.

"It may be. Hiccup, er, Chief. Before we start, let me just say this." He begins pausing and glancing to his wife. "We've talked, and we both agree that we've never seen our little girl happier. You're not the typical Viking, to be honest, I expected you to die years ago from dragons." He admits and I laugh nervously

"Oh, ha, ha. Yeah, I think a few people expected that." I answer and he nods.

"But I'm glad you didn't. You've been strong taking Stoick's place, which is no easy task to do. More importantly than that, its obvious the impact you have on our daughter. I trusted her to leave to the Edge with you, I trust you now." He says and I release a brief sigh of relief.

"But." He adds, his tone soft but shockingly intimidating. "She is my little girl, our only child. If you hurt her, dragon or no dragon, Chief or no Chief, I will hurt you." He says calmly, making direct eye contact which I ensure not to break as I nod.

"I understand, and please understand this. I would sooner die than to hurt her. I wouldn't be where I am today if not for her." I answer, not breaking eye contact with him. "She means the world to me, and she will be my future wife." I say confidently and he nods, glancing to his own wife.

"May I ask why you haven't scheduled to wed yet?" Lady Hofferson asks, and I nod.

"She and I have both talked about that privately and neither of us feel it is the right time. With the threat of the Dragon Trappers that plague nearby waters, we want to ensure our waters safe for our people, which is why she serves as my General." I add and she nods briefly.

"Yet you feel it is the right time to lay with her." Her father says taking a drink. There it was; the suspicion Astrid had mentioned. My expression softens but not my resolve.

"Tell me, Mr Hofferson, and please take no offense to this. Do your days feel better when you end them sitting with you, laying with you, comforting you? Do your mornings not start calmer knowing she is by your side?" I ask, carefully choosing my words as to not anger them. This was a tight rope I was walking that could explode as easily as it could mellow. His eyes narrow as I nod softly.

"I can tell you that my days are better now. The struggles of life lessened by her simple presence; the ability to talk and sit in front of a fireplace and listen. Knowing the most important person in my life is there with me when I wake up. That makes taking my Father's place more manageable. I had told her this, and I will tell you the same. I would not change anything of the past if it meant changing anything between us. Together, we look to the future." I say, my confidence growing slightly as he sits there and listens, taking a drink. I see his wife grip his arm.

"So, to answer your question. Yes, I do feel that time is right. My home is her home." I finish, settling my voice and waiting for him to respond. He lets loose a deep sigh and places his mug on the table.

"Chief…" he pauses, looking to his wife who nods. I can see a light smile on her face. "Your home is her home, and our home is your home. I had no doubts about your care for our daughter, and if I did, I don't anymore." He answers, extending his large hand across the table, which I take and nod with a smile. "You're doing your father proud, boy."

"Thank you." I answer and glance to Astrid's mom.

"Do you think you two, and maybe Valka, would be interested in sharing supper tonight? We've yet to have a family dinner between us and I think, maybe, the time is right." She asks and I smile.

"I'm sure Astrid would love that, and I am willing to bet my mother would as well. I'll stop by later and let you know after I speak to them?" I ask and they both nod.

"You do that. Thanks for the chat, Chief. And for putting a father's mind at ease." Her father adds and I nod with a smile. That could've gone worse, and I don't think it could've gone much better. Leaving and hopping on Toothless, I track down Astrid. She's at our spot, the cliff overlooking the village. I smile as I see the Deadly Nadder and its rider perched up there and go in for a landing.

*********************************

I'll be honest, I was worried, I couldn't help it. My father was a warrior, one of the best in the tribe. Even the Jorgensen's backed away from him, but we weren't competitors, we fought for each other not against each other. Hiccup wasn't a warrior, not like that anyways. He fought with words, resorted to violence as little as possible, even refraining to kill his most hated enemies. I've never asked my father how he felt about that, if he thought it a weakness or a strength to seek compromise and offer mercy versus the not.

When I talked to him, he didn't seem mad, I'm not sure I could tell how he felt. He never was one to display his emotions, maybe that was why I always envisioned him exploding in anger, cause I'm not sure I've ever seen it. But how would he react to the Chief of the Tribe being with his daughter before they were married. Hiccup was no Stoick, and didn't demand the same level of respect; he deserved it, but he never demanded it.

Stormfly must've felt my fear in my riding as she caws and sways to set down. "Alright, girl." I say, patting her on the side and taking her down after our morning flight. We had left shortly after Hiccup, I saw him take off for a quick lap but was already in the sky and over the sea before he came back around. Setting down on the cliffside that overlooks the village, I hop off Stormfly and reach into the saddlebags. Pulling out a piece of chicken, I toss it to her and then sit. There hasn't been a snowfall since Aurvandil's Fire, and that was light. But the clouds on the horizon suggested we'd get some soon. Snow or no snow, it was still cold. The air was crisp and cut through my layers of clothing and all I could think of was feeling his embrace.

I can barely remember a time when I didn't long for that, as crazy as it seems. I know what Heather would say, it's not crazy, it's love. I do miss her, maybe I'll convince her to come visit. She won't be hounded by Snotlout or even Fishlegs since her permanent return to Berserker Island made Ruffnut their only chance at a girlfriend. I shuddered at the thought, but it made me laugh regardless. Heather knew about my inclination towards Hiccup before anyone else did, Thor's sake, she might've even helped push me in the right direction.

As much as I tried to stop myself, I couldn't keep my eyes off of my home where I could barely make out the silhouette of the Night Fury outside. What felt like an eternity of watching and imagining out the scene was unfolding couldn't have been more than thirty minutes before I saw movement and the sudden lurch as the Night Fury rocketed to the sky. I loved watching him fly Toothless, it was downright impressive. Stormfly was fast, but not Night Fury fast. Toothless could climb to altitudes so quickly that no other dragons could hope to keep up. Stormfly might be able to keep up on long flights, but not diving or climbing.

Speaking of diving, I feel my lips curl into a smile as I see the Night Fury dive towards me. Hiccup knew where I was, knew I was waiting for him here at our little spot. Before long, Toothless landed and I got up and met Hiccup as he dismounted, pulling him in for an embrace. His suit was cold but just embracing him made me warmer.

"How did it go?" I ask as I release and he shrugs playfully.

"Oh, ya know. I had to dodge a couple axes, he almost flipped the table on me and your mother, wow can she swing a mallet." He says and I roll my eyes.

"Okay, har har, seriously though." I say, looking him in the eyes and stopping his shoulders from hopping.

"Seriously." He pauses and walks me over to Stormfly and we lean against her thigh as he kisses me lightly on the lips. "He knows we're good for each other. I put his mind at ease, or so he said." He answers and I smile. I knew he would.

"How?" I ask as I feel his arms snake around my waist, pulling us closer.

"Long or short version?" He asks softly and I smile.

"Long. I want to know." I answer and he nods and explains everything. How he defended us, explained his position and ours. How he called his home my home and how my father called our home his home. How they wanted supper tonight. Tonight? "They want us to have supper tonight?" I exclaim in surprise and he nods.

"Is that okay?" He asks with a sheepish grin and I furrow my brow and smile.

"Do I have a choice?" I ask sarcastically and he shrugs.

"I mean, it's your parents. They invited my mother too. The first Hofferson-Haddock supper, so they claim." He continues and I groan. Great. Valka was certainly reasonable, so were my parents for the most part. Maybe I'm worried for no reason, it'll just be awkward.

"Have you talked to your mother about it?" I ask and he shakes his head.

"You were my first stop. I figure we can go find her together, before our flight. Maybe we take a day flight to Dragon's Island and back, or just find a place to set down for a picnic, just us, afterwards." Hiccup suggests, bumping hips with me and I smile.

"I think I like the idea of the picnic. Maybe one of the northwestern island plots. Not too far for our dragons." I answer and he smiles, planting a tender kiss on my lips that genuinely warms my face from the cold.

"I'll carry the food; you carry the blankets and gear?" He suggests and I nod as he moves to walk back towards Toothless.

"It's all at our house anyways." I answer and he pauses in his tracks, turning to look at me with a smile. "What?" I ask.

"You said, 'our house.'" He answers softly and I smile, walking back to him and kissing him.

"It is." I answer simply and he smiles.

"Let's find my mother, then we'll head out." He answers and I nod, we hop on our dragons with new plans for the day.

Finding Valka was easy, she always is with the Dragons, and as was expected, she had no problems with having supper tonight.

"Oh, my. A Hofferson-Haddock supper?" She teases causing Hiccup to shift uncomfortably as I laugh and nod. "I'd be delighted." She adds and hugs us both.

Splitting up then, I head to his house to begin collecting and he heads to my parents to inform them of the news. Before long, we're both in the air and heading to the first remote and deserted island we can find, picnic food and blankets on hand, we were ready for a day of relaxation.


	22. Hofferson-Haddock Supper

We decided to give our dragons time to stretch their wings before setting down, both Toothless and Stormfly had seen little personal attention from us in the past week. I could personally see how happy Toothless was to be flying again with Hiccup. Tongue flapping out against the wind like an excited puppy, Hiccup was no different. Climbing higher and higher with Toothless to a point it was a challenge for Stormfly and I to keep up. We ended up racing to Dragon's Island while scouting the waters and islands along the way. Fortunately, we didn't see any trapper boats that would derail our day, they must be staying south.

On our way back, we stopped out on one of the tall standing rock formations, not really an island perse but it was a couple hundred feet above the ocean and had a beautiful little plateau. A perfect place for a secluded picnic with nothing but the ocean, or dragons and each other. The cold air was even more cutting above the waters, but all that did was prompt us to sit hip to hip as our dragons made a fire out of some kindling we had brought. Hiccup started roasting some fish, chicken, and mutton as I laid out the blanket removed my boots and kicked one of the several blankets, that I had packed over both of our legs.

"You mind?" I ask softly as I reach towards his single boot and he shakes his head.

"I can get it." He answers but I'm already unlacing it.

"You worry about the food; I'll make sure we're comfortable." I answer, placing a hand on his thigh as he smiles. I had brought a couple pillows and that, coupled with the saddlebags and some rocks nearby made for a near perfect back rest for us to lean against.

It didn't take him long to roast the food, and we watched our dragons play for a good time while eating, just taking in the air, the sights and each other. Letting loose a deep sigh, I lean my head on his shoulder and feel his arm wrap around me.

"This is good" I whisper softly and feel him nod.

"Yes, it is." He answers, running his hand up and down the side of my arm softly. He lets out a long sigh as we gaze over the horizon. By now, the sun had begun its descent but we still had hours before the dinner at my parents house, and his sigh was less than a happy one.

"What's wrong?" I ask, turning to look at him, he just shakes his head.

"I don't understand; we've been fighting for all these years. First we were fighting the dragons cause we didn't understand them. Then we were fighting people because we did understand them." He shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders as I place my hand on his cheek.

"What do you mean?" I ask. I mean, I understand but what brought this on; his mind always wandered when it shouldn't. He always thought so long and hard.

"Back when Dagur or Alvin were our enemies, they wanted to use dragons as weapons. Viggo and Ryker were worse; weaponizing them into real platforms of attack and selling them. Dragon fights for profit. Johann, Krogan and the Flyers. Taking normally peaceful, if not territorial, dragons and turning them into killers. For what? Money? Wealth? Power? Fleeting material things." Hiccup continues and I can't help but smile softly. Not at what he's reminding me of, but of watching his mind and his heart try to make sense of it all.

"There is no excuse." I say softly, my finger tracing his cheekbone and his hand clasps mine.

"And then Drago and the Tidal Leviathan. He ordered, tortured that behemoth into submission and used it to murder the Dragon King's heir from the egg that we saved from Johann. He used his dragon, to order Toothless to kill my father. And for what? I don't get it, what is so important that so much death has to be brought upon the world." Hiccup exclaims as his eyes never leave the horizon. I could see the speckle of a tear form in his eye and it made my own eyes water as I listened. He needed to vent, he needed this.

"Power? Fear? Thinking that you alone should lead, so you kill those who get in your way? How is that leadership? How is inspiring fear in the masses, causing death and turmoil and unhappiness, how is that what makes someone think they are a leader? Did Drago think we'd all bend to his whim cause we were afraid, that he could bend the world?" He continues; this must've been burning inside him. Eating him away, it's a wonder I never noticed it. He usually laid his emotions out open with me, but he must've been working through this for a while. Maybe he is still struggling with the loss of his father…

"Evil people do evil things and say it is for the greater good, but what they really mean is that its for their own good." I answer softly and he nods.

"And now, Drago gone. I thought we'd finally be able to have some degree of peace. Can our kind, can humans, ever know peace?" He questions, finally looking at me and the look in his eyes made me want to close mine. It was filled with fear, with concern and disbelief.

"We know peace, right now." I answer softly, placing my hand from his face and bringing it down to his chest. He closes his eye and I see the tear trail down his face. He's fighting it so hard when he doesn't need too.

"I wish I had the answers, that there was some way to create peace. Not just between humans but between humans and dragons. We war with each other; we war with these magnificent creatures. Even now, right now, those Trappers are probably enslaving some dragon or killing a person who got in their way." Hiccup says, his eyes still closed as he grits his teeth. "What am I doing wrong?" He finally asks, his voice broken as I shake my head softly, leaning in and placing a long, tender kiss on his lips.

"Nothing." I answer softly against his lips. "Absolutely nothing, Hiccup." I say, kissing him again and I see him squint his eyes closed, fighting back more. "Hiccup, look at me." I nearly command and he sighs, slowly opening his eyes I can see the redness in them as his face softens.

"Hiccup, if you have one flaw, it's that you want to help everyone, everything you see, so badly. And it eats you from the inside when you can't." I explain softly. "But, it's not because you are unwilling or incapable." I add, looking down at his chest where his wound was before glancing back at him. "You are the kindest, and the bravest." I finish softly.

"You are the bravest, Astrid. I remember what you did when we thought you were blinded. No one can be more brave, or strong. Fearless Astrid Hofferson." He answers with a smile and I shake my head.

"Don't you make this about me." I say with a light laugh. "Hiccup, there is no good reason. Evil people exist in our world and we just find ways to either change them, or live without them." I finish and he sighs.

"I can't do that. Not knowing all the evil they are doing to others or to dragons." He answers and I smile.

"And there's that flaw I mentioned. Though, it's not really a flaw." I admit. "More like an admirable trait or a conscious dream; one that can never be fully realized." I continue and he sighs.

"So, is it hopeless? Is our fight against the trappers meaningless? More evil people will fill the gaps, more suffering." He says and I shake my head.

"No, it is not hopeless. You inspire hope, your actions inspire others to be better. Don't lose heart in that, babe. I will never lose faith in you." I finish, leaning in and placing a kiss on his lips.

"I don't know where I'd be without you" He says softly against my lips and I smile.

"You'll never need to, I'm here to stay, Hiccup." I answer and he smiles, pressing his lips more tightly against mine. I may not have absolved all his inner turmoil, but together, we'd get through it; As One.

*********************************

We stayed on that rock formation for several hours after my breakdown. I couldn't stop it, seeing the serene view around me. The peaceful feeling of sitting with Astrid and watching our dragons play. My mind flooded with thoughts I had thought I buried. Why did my father have to die, why does this evil exist? What are the gods trying to show us, is it trials and tests? Is it a game to them?

The thoughts riddled my mind, but I had to suppress them; I didn't want my time with Astrid to be spent wallowing in self-pity or grief. I wanted to enjoy my time with her, and I do. Her voice, her words; the look in her eyes as she smiles and speaks to me, it has a way of diffusing me, of comforting and mending me. She knew it, she had too; I imagine she relished in it.

It was almost time to head back for the dinner, and we had hardly moved since finishing our lunch. Laying on this rock formation under a blanket, gazing at the sea or into each other's eyes when our lips locked. I can hardly imagine a better way to spend any day. Such as now, I feel her tongue trace my lip and soon our tongues meet, and our lips press fully together as I feel her arms tighten around my neck and mine tighten around her waist.

If it was cold, we had forgotten about it in our own heat from under the blankets. The thought crossed my mind more than once on this formation, I imagine it did hers as well judging solely by how her hips moved while we kissed. Our dragon's obvious presence made such events awkward, to say the least, so for now, we were more than content in each other's embrace.

Soon though, the sun started to touch the horizon and it was nearing the time of supper, with only an hour or so to go before we were expected at her parents' house. Reluctantly, we released each other from our embrace and packed up our things. We knew we'd find each other's arms again tonight, and more. So, patience was the way of our days now, and we had grown accustomed to it.

The flight back was quick with the lighter load as all the food was gone and we arrived at the house with still plenty of light in the sky. Moving inside, we dropped our gear and stripped out of our riding suits. Using herbs and a couple warm buckets of water, we helped wash each other down before reclothing. We had also grown accustomed to washing with each other, helping clean each other. If for no other reason than it gave us an excuse to explore each other. There were certainly lingering moments while we cleaned that did not go unnoticed by either of us.

Still though, no time for our passion to take hold of us as we were expected. And we soon found ourselves walking to her parents' house, leaving both Stormfly and Toothless at ours. I move to knock and we are greeted almost immediately by her mother who quickly embraces us both.

"Astrid, Chief! Glad you could join us. Valka is already here and we've been enjoying stories!" She exclaims with a smile and Astrid and I both groan softly, which then makes us both laugh as we enter.

"Stories, you say?" I ask, semi-rhetorically and semi-curiously.

"Aye, Hiccup. I've got a few from when you were a babe! And even some from recent times." I hear my mother answer from across the room as I glance to Astrid who laughs.

"I'd love to hear those." Astrid chirps as I nudge her and she shrugs with a smile.

"Oh, you will deary! Your parents have also been telling me some things about you." She adds to Astrid and I laugh.

"Oh, I'd love to hear those, too" I add with a grin as I feel Astrid nudge me in return and scoff. We take our seats at the table and her mother serves some delicious yak meat with mead around the table.

I'll be honest, it isn't what I at all was expecting. I expected some awkwardly quiet dinner where we struggled to fill the silence. Instead it was filled with laughter and stories about our respective families and childhoods. Even Astrid was laughing, genuinely laughing. I found my eyes tracing to her and smiling.

Though, Astrid was doing me no favors, filling in the gaps of my childhood that my mother missed. Explaining the awkward times at Dragon Training or when I nearly caused the village to burn down with one of my contraptions. Any awkwardness I may have felt though evaporated when she snaked her hand with mine under the table and our fingers interlocked. She made no notion that she had done so, just sort of did.

The dinner went well into the night, and started winding down near midnight with many stories having passed our lips.

"It is getting late, thank you for hosting us." Valka says, offering a nod of her head to the Hoffersons who both smile and nod.

"It was our pleasure. I hope this is the first of many such suppers in the future." Astrid's mother replied with a smile.

"Indeed. After our talk today, Chief, I feel at ease knowing my daughter is with you." Her father says and I can see a look of pride stem from my mother as I shake my head.

"Please, just Hiccup. We are in your home, and this is a family gathering. I see no need for formalities." I request. I'm still not entirely accustomed to being called Chief.

"You got it, Hiccup. You're a good man." He answers and I smile. I feel Astrid's grip in my hand tighten as I glance to her and she smiles.

"Yes, he is." She reaffirms.

"And you, dear, are an exceptional young woman." Valka adds, placing a hand on Astrid's shoulder.

"This dinner was more for us, to see you two." Her mother adds. "We're glad to welcome the Haddocks as apart of our family." She finishes and I nod.

"And I'm proud to welcome the Hoffersons into mine." I add, glancing at my mother who nods with a smile.

Standing, we all part ways after a round of hugs all around. Cloudjumper carries my mother off as Astrid and I start making our way through the darkened and quiet village. We were the last ones awake besides the sentries that walked the docks and streets every so often.

We enjoyed a nice long walk back, our arms entwined and our bodies close. The cold air meaningless compared to the glow radiating off both of us. It was a good way to end the night.


	23. Can't Sleep

We didn't end up going back to our house immediately and instead walked the long pathways of Berk together, the trailing roads between houses and finally headed up to the Academy in the dead of night. Our dragons had caught up to us as we rounded near the house and walked behind us. Everything was quiet and peaceful when we arrived at the Academy. It's hard to think that this pit we call the Academy was used to kill these dragons barely five years ago. That our Riders rode the original captives within this pit and were not their closest friends. So much had changed, it was heartwarming to remember where it began and where it is now.

Astrid had stayed close to me the entire time, and when we arrived at the Academy, we split briefly. Assembling a collection of broken barrels or boxes from the training the week before, we collected them into the center and Toothless lit us a fire where we could just sit. We weren't speaking, just enjoying our time together. Sometimes there didn't need to be words to be happy. Sometimes it was the mere presence of the person you were with that made you happy. Astrid had become that for me and from the way she moved, I think I became that for her.

Sitting close to the fire, in a light embrace, my fingers race her arms as she leans her head against my shoulder, us both staring into the firelight. I don't think either of us were tired, not after the day we had, which was shocking in of itself. For a day that started before dawn and was certainly long, we were almost into the morning hours and still readily awake.

"Hiccup, I've been thinking." Astrid begins and I glance down at her as she gazes into the fire.

"About what?" I ask softly, bring my hand up to her shoulder.

"I'll always be there. I know I've said it before. Every decision you must make as Chief, every challenge we face; we'll face them together. These trappers won't know what hit them, we'll be better than we were against Viggo or Johann." She says softly but confidently, and I nod, smiling.

"They won't be ready, they think they'll be ready, and we'll show them we mean business and that their ways have no place in the world." I answer and she nods her head lightly.

We hear a sudden tumble outside of the Academy and as we turn, we see Fishlegs and Meatlug walking in.

"Oh, it's you guys." He says, pausing in his tracks and tapping his fingers together. "Hope I'm, uh, not interrupting anything." He says sheepishly and Astrid and I both look at each other and smile.

"Not at all, Fishlegs. Join us, we just couldn't sleep." I say, waving him over and he smiles and runs to my right side, as Astrid is hugging close to my left.

"Sweet! Me neither! I have honestly been looking for you guys all day. Where have you been?" He begins and we both awkwardly laugh.

"Ah-ha, just a day out and dinner with our families." I shrug and his face literally seems to glow as Astrid laughs.

"You guys had the first family dinner together! So, it is going to happen, Hiccup. Can I be best man?" He asks and I nod and shrug.

"It's not happening for awhile, Fishlegs, not while there are Trappers on the loose. But yes." I answer and he grins.

"Speaking of, why are you here?" Astrid asks, leaning over me to look at the larger Viking.

"Oh, I couldn't sleep and was Giving Meatlug her midnight snack when I noticed firelight from the Academy. My first thought was Gustav set something on fire and didn't tell anyone." He explains and both Astrid and I nod.

"Yeah, that'd probably be my first thought too." Astrid admits as we hear a sudden growl from a Monstrous Nightmare.

"Hey! What's going on here? Getting midnight training without me and Hookfang?!" We hear Snotlout's voice exclaim.

"Not at all, just couldn't sleep. Join us." I answer, waving him and Hookfang over.

"Looks like it's becoming a party." Astrid says softly and I smile, gripping her shoulder softly as her brief look of annoyance at the sudden influx of people is replaced with a smile.

"A party? Where? Why weren't we invited?" I hear Tuffnut from somewhere above us and as I glance up, see the head of Belch gazing down at me with Tuffnut holding on.

"Uh, where did you guys come from?" Astrid asks as I laugh

"Saw fire. Middle of the night. Figured it was either a raid of epic proportions being brought down upon our fair village" Tuffnut exclaims

"Or someone had a fire going." Ruffnut finishes.

"Or that. Turns out it was that. We have fish." He adds in no particular order prompting almost all of us to laugh.

"Great, the whole gang is here." I say with a shrug as the Zippleback climbs down and the twins join us in the circle. Tuffnut tossing fish to each of us and hitting an unexpecting Snotlout in the side of the head.

"HEY!" He exclaims, prompting Tuffnut to laugh mischievously.

"Loki'd, my man." Tuff answers and Snotlout sighs.

"Is it even Loki Day?" He asks with an exasperated tone, grabbing the fish from the ground next to him.

"My son. Everyday is Loki Day in the Nut Family." Tuffnut says

"Well said, Brother Nut." Ruffnut adds and we all laugh

"So, why were you looking for us, Fishlegs?" I ask after the laugh and he pulls out a parchment.

"I got a Terrormail from Heather and Dagur today I wanted to show you. Has some information about Ragnar." He says and I nod with a smile, glancing to Astrid whose face has become deadly still with an obvious look of anger in her eyes. I squeeze her shoulder again to snap her out of it and her expression softens.

"Okay, share." I finish and he nods, scooting closer to the fire.

"Okay. Ragnar the Rock. A Warlord from the Eastern Mainland's described as rather sadistic with his humor and jolly nature being a ploy for truly evil machinations. Prefers blades over axes but is a proficient fighter in all weapons. He works with another pair of warlords from varying areas, most from the mainland." Fishlegs begins and we listen, even the twins and Snotlout have shut up.

"Enjoys taunting his enemies as well. Apparently Dagur had run into him and the others some time ago. They worked with Drago, but with Drago's need for control, always took a second, acting like Drago's Lieutenants." Fishlegs finishes.

"Do we know anything about their operation, the other two?" Astrid asks in a soft voice, but I could tell she was hiding a great deal of anger.

"One is a woman but no name. The other one we met on the boat; Chaghatai Khan. He is apparently more ruthless and brutal than Ragnar, preferring to just kill than talk." Fishlegs adds and she nods.

"Noticed that when I tried fighting him." Astrid admits and for some reason, apparently, I wasn't told about that before.

"You did what?" I ask, turning to look at her.

"He ambushed Fishlegs and I. I thought I had the upper hand when I disarmed one of his weapons, but he just become more brutal."

"So, we've a real threat on our hands." I say softly and everyone nods.

"On the plus side, they haven't figured out how to weaponize Dragons like Drago did. That was the Leviathan and something Drago kept to himself. They can cage them, but so far, can't harness them." Fishlegs adds.

"Send a Terrormail back to Dagur; I want to consolidate our efforts and stop these guys. We're not letting them do whatever they want in these waters." I say and Fishlegs nods.

"No way. We'll blow 'em back to their dumb mainland." Tuffnut says.

"Have you ever been to the Mainland?" Ruff asks sarcastically and we all laugh. Good spirits in the face of danger, that's what helped make this group of very different Vikings my family. And together, we'd see no one invade our home. I feel Astrid's hand find mine and squeeze softly, she felt the same. We'd win, in the end, somehow.

*********************************

I now know who almost killed Hiccup, and Thor help me, I'd make him pay for that. It took every ounce of my will to not get up and jump on Stormfly to hunt him down. It was different, I couldn't control the anger I felt. I know why, it was Hiccup; my friend, my Chief, my love. And he was almost killed by some newcomer to our waters, honestly if I didn't feel his arms around me as Fishlegs gave us the information, I'd have wanted to scream.

I know we would win in the end, somehow. These Warlords were just going to be three new names on our list of bested enemies and distant memories, nothing more. But now, they were a real, serious threat and operating within the archipelago. Berk wasn't exactly a hard target to miss, we had become known among the traders as a Dragon Haven. News spreads as Traders travel; and we were news around the islands to be sure.

We had allies, the Berserkers and Outcasts, the Wingmaidens and Defenders of the Wing. We had made friends and those friends came to our need when it mattered most. I'm sure, if called and able, they would again. But these enemies in our own waters attacked with speed and precision, taking Drago for example. Even with the relative location of Berserker and Outcast Islands, neither could have arrived in time to do anything.

For now, we'd keep to precision attacks using the Riders as we gained more information on the new enemy before they tried making a run at Berk. Though, while Hiccup was injured, we were successful in our first raid and took their dragons. If we remained successful, as much good as having dragons on Berk is, it will make us a target that is a glowing beacon on the sea. We would be attacked sooner or later, like when those Bounty Hunters tried to steal Hiccup from Berk and very nearly succeeded.

He has faced death constantly, more often than any of us, earning the ire of many people as our leader. His ingenuity and unwavering resolve can be threatening to anyone who stands against him, even if he is a hiccup. It made me smile, honestly, like I had said before to Heather, that unassuming hero type.

Still sitting around the fire with the riders and laughing, we soon actually felt fatigue wear into us all as I feel Hiccup tighten his grip on my hand and stand.

"Alright, gang. As much as I'd like this to never end, we need to get some sleep. Tomorrow, we start recon; we'll work with Eret and my mother as well. Keep the Aux riders as a base defensive line on Berk. We won't leave bright and early, it's already dark and early. I want everyone fully rested and here by mid-morning." Hiccup says and everyone nods.

"Mid-morning? Hiccup the Tyrannical more like." Tuffnut says with a grin and Hiccup sighs.

"Can we not?" He pleads and everyone, I'll admit, even me, laughs. "Ha ha, funny jokes. Okay, get to bed. I have spoken." He says in a jokingly deeper tone as he points out of the Academy, playing into it.

Slowly but surely, everyone makes their way out as Hiccup and I are the last ones there. I move to Stormfly but feel his grip around my waist pull me back and my lips meet his in a strong kiss. I melt into it, wrapping my arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. Unexpected though it may be, it was anything but unwelcome. Tracing his lip, our tongues find each other as he pulls my hips closer to his and our bodies fully press into the kiss, to the point to where we are nearly out of breath and breathing heavily to recover it as our lips part. I feel my face flushed as I look into his eyes.

"I've been wanting to do that all night." He whispers softly, taking a deep breath and kissing me lightly again.

"I could tell." I answer playfully against his lips before nodding. "I have too."

"Thank you, Astrid. I know hearing what we heard about Ragnar and Khan couldn't have been easy. It certainly wasn't for me, but now we know our enemies." He says softly, pressing his forehead to mine as I feel him sway slightly, his hands keeping my hips pressed against his.

"I wanted to scream, to fly out and find them, burn their ships to cinders and let the oceans take them." I admit, closing my eyes and just taking in his warmth as we sway together.

"I know, we will, together." He answers me and I nod. He moves to release his grip on me and I shake my head.

"Nuh uh." I say softly, my eyes still closed as my arms around his neck tighten their grip. I open my eyes and look into his and smile. "You started this; you finish it." I whisper, leaning in closer until our lips touch ever so lightly before pulling back.

"Not fair." He answers, his lips chasing mine as I laugh lightly and let them connect again. His grip around my waist tightening as we sway together, our lips and tongues locked in a perfect harmony as they dance.

Suddenly, I feel something literally sweep my feet out from under me and open my eyes in surprise to see Hiccup's eyes equally surprised as we are pulling away from our kiss mid-fall. He lands on his back and I land on top of him with his hands still around my waist as we look to the side and see Toothless doing a not-so-innocent waddle away. The dragon looks back at us and does his guttural laugh as he burns the stone beneath him and lays down. I glance and see Stormfly perk her head up from her nestled position and then lower it again.

"Should we go back to the house?" Hiccup asks from beneath me and I look down at him and smile.

"Only if your body continues what your mind was thinking there." I answer teasingly.

"And what do you think my mind was thinking, oh reader of minds?" He retorts with a knowing smile.

I lean in and lightly kiss his lips, straddling him and kissing down to his neck. I bite down a little hard and kiss his neck before my lips trace to his. Sitting back, I let my hips grind against his and raise my eyebrow with a smile.

"That give you enough of a hint?" I ask softly and his hands slowly glide up my thighs and rest on my hips. I feel his leg kick and he rolls me onto my back, his hands pinning mine to the stone beneath me with a smile.

"I think" he pauses, leaning in and kissing my lips softly. "I got" He whispers against my lips as he kisses my neckline and bites softly before tracing it with his tongue. "The hint" he finishes, his breath tickling my neck as I let loose a light moan of contentment. He pulls back and looks down at me with a smile and I bite my lip and nod.

"Then yes, let's go back home. I'm eager to see just how well you got my hint." I add and he smiles, standing up and helping me to my feet, he pulls me in and kisses me one last time.

"To the bed then, where I will explore and pleasure your body, Lady Haddock-Hofferson." He says in a remarkably teasing voice and the last line sent a shiver down my spine as I smile.

"I'm looking forward too it, my love." I whisper and together, we make our way back to the house.


	24. New Word

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

It didn't take either of us long to find our way to the bed when we got home, something I was thankful for as I had grown accustomed to his touch and how it made me feel. Could I go does without it, yes; just as I had done for the years before. But we were adults now, young adults granted, but adults none the less. We weren't traditional, we didn't follow the laws of the land and usually made things up as we went along with most of choices, why should this be any different.

For Thor's sake, most were married closer to the age of eighteen in our customs, and Hiccup and I are twenty. Already breaking a custom there, which is honestly probably why so many people have harped on us about when we were getting married. We have been together for a couple of years now, and it started back on the Edge. And granted, we'd been betrothed since we were eighteen, we haven't even brought up marriage unless it was mentioned by someone else like our parents.

With the inclusion of dragons into our customs, so many traditions were being rewritten as the day of it arrived on the calendar, maybe that's also why neither Hiccup nor I felt any regret doing what we do. Plus, as awkward as it was, if our parents at least suspected our actions and did not take outright stances against it then, as far as I am concerned, we are fine. By the gods, all they even say is to be careful which only translates as: Don't get caught, and don't get pregnant. Those are two rules we had no issues following.

I feel my back arch as thoughts race through my mind. As quickly as I think of something, it's gone from my mind as I bite my lower lip and stifle a moan as I feel Hiccup trace his tongue and fingers between my legs. We certainly weren't traditional, we enjoyed exploring our bodies, making each other feel good.

I can't fight the moan as it escapes my lips when I feel him slip a finger inside me, the feeling is different than his member but not unwelcome as he explores with it. His lips and tongue still tracing outside as I grip the blanket and turn my head to the side. He had grown adept in making the heat within my body build and explode before even trying to use his own member.

My legs shakes as my hips rise of the bed, I feel his arm hook under my thigh and around my waist as his tongue follows his other hands' finger inside me. I hook my feet on the under hang on his bed to help give me something to press against as I rock my hips against his lips. Still gripping the sheets as I bite my lower lip, a long-drawn moan escaping. I feel the heat build and explode from within me as he doesn't slow in his practiced attention. It's taking every ounce of my willpower to not just cry out in pleasure, but the last thing we need is more questions being asked.

I slowly feel my hips spasm and shakes as I lower them back to the bed, my legs growing weak as I feel his lips start tracing up my abdomen. Stopping at each one of my nipples, he lathers them with his tongue before wrapping them in his lips, one at a time, making sure each one is getting proper attention. My soft moans are his guide as I feel him gently allow his teeth to nibble on them, just hard enough to send goosebumps across my skin and nod hard enough to hurt. Kissing up to my neckline, I feel his knees wench in between mine as his lips find that spot on my neck and make my eyes roll back with a smile. I feel him press his member against me, though not entering as he breathes against my neck.

"Ready?" He asks softly and I bite my lip, smiling and shaking my head.

"Wait." I say softly and grab his hands, keeping our knees and legs connected, I roll us over and slip my legs over him so I'm straddling him. "Allow me." I whisper, my hand tracing his chest as I kiss his lips softly.

"My all means, Milady." He says softly as I feel his hands glide up my hips and rest softly on my waist. I can feel his stiff member pressing against me as I slowly grind my hips, layering his member with my heat. His breath hitches as I feel his member throb beneath me. "Don't. Tease me, Astrid." He says breathlessly as he gazes up to me. Smiling, I lean in and my hands find his on my hip and our fingers interlocking as I pin them above his head.

"Is that a threat, Chief?" I say teasingly, my lips tracing his but not pressing fully against his as I rock my hips against his member, not allowing it to enter me and feeling it throb beneath the pressure I'm putting on it.

"More of a promise." He answers, reaching his head up and pecking me on the lips as I smile. Leaning in, I bite his lip and tug on it before kissing him fully, his grip in my hands tightening as I feel his hips rocking against mine. As though he's trying to rock and grind in such a way that his member slides on in.

"What're you promising then, Chief? Regale me?" I ask against his lips and he smiles.

"You are evil." He says simply and we both laugh softly together before I lean in and kiss him, my tongue finding his as I release one of his hands and slide my hand down beneath me to his member. Still mid-kiss, I find his member and help to guide it so that just the tip enters me.

"Am I still evil?" I ask teasingly, not pressing all the way down. The smile on his face is unmistakable, filled with passion and a bit of mischief. I feel his hip move before thrusting upwards, and his full member fills me up in a heartbeat in such a way that I release a long moan as my hips shudder briefly.

"Nice." I say under my breath as my free hand finds his and they interlock again, with both of his hands now pinned above his head. Planting a long-drawn kiss against his lips, I rock my hips and glide them across his. "Allow. Me." I saw between breaths against his lips and he doesn't argue, all he does is press further against my lips making talking meaningless. Our bodies knew what to do now, all we had to do was let it happen and enjoy it. And enjoy it I did.

Feeling every inch of his stiff, throbbing member moving and grinding within me was enough to make my eyes roll and my arms to grow weak. My hips grinding hard against his as I kept the pressure down, he was used to this, he loved it too. I feel his hips rock in a small circle, up down, back and forth. My hips moving similarly grinding left to right, back and forth, his member never leaving within me for very long as it explored every iota of space within. He may be the only one I have or will ever be with, and that was perfectly okay, because to me, it was a perfect fit.

I feel the heat building up within me again and my movement increases as I hear him moan against my lips. Something about hearing him moan drove me over the edge, same thing for him with me I would wager; knowing we are making each other feel that good. My speed increases as I feel my heat begin to climax and start to explode, a feeling I was becoming familiar with as I leaned my head into his neck and pillow beneath him. I bite down on his neck as my hip movement speed keeps increasing and I let myself moan long and loud into his neck, muffling the sound but it still felt good to let loose.

"Astrid, I'm going too.." He stops his hip movements as mine climaxes, my legs shaking and growing weak above him as I can feel his member throb. In that moment, I wanted him to just release his own passion within me and care not for the consequences. I slide my hips forward so his member leaves, then slide my hips back so I'm sitting back a top of it.

"Did you…" I ask sheepishly, my face flushed with embarrassment, sprinkled with concern. He shakes his head and I smile outwardly but frown inwardly. "I don't think that's fair…" I mutter beneath my breath, still feeling his stiff member beneath me.

"What?" He asks with a real look of concern as I shake my head. Releasing his hands, I slide down his body, my knees walking me down his chest until his stiff member is in front of me. I glance up at him and smile as I grip it with my hands and lightly trace it with my tongue. It had just been within me, which makes the taste something unique, different. The smell too, neither were bad, they were unique; intoxicating even, but that may be the passion talking. We certainly we not traditional, not in any sense of the word.

I wrap my lips around his member and my tongue traces the tip of it as I slide my fingers around him and slowly continue the same motion we had been doing with our hips. I wanted him to be able to release, it wasn't fair that he was the one who had to restrain himself when I got to feel everything. He was still on the edge when we had stopped, barely containing himself from releasing within me that when my lips wrapped around him and my fingers started their movements, it wasn't long before I heard him moan softly.

"I'm going too…" he whispers again, and I couldn't answer but if I could, all I would've said was; do it. And he did, and I feel his passionate heat explode into my mouth, I keep my fingers moving and my tongue tracing, letting him completely release. I hear his grunt as his legs shudder, and he says my name again barely above his breath.

Unlocking my lips from his member and swallowing, I crawl up back on top of him and lean over to the side of the bed, grabbing a towel and mug of water. Taking a drink to clear my throat and wiping both his and my own area down before letting the towel fall beside the bed, I lean back and lay on him. We'd found it useful to have both of those on hand; we may not be traditional but we both valued cleanliness.

Rolling his head over, he looks at me and without a care or thought to the contrary, kisses me on the lips and sighs.

"You're amazing." He says softly and I shake my head.

"You're amazing, babe. Thank you." I say and rest my head against his shoulder and we both drift happily into sleep together, naked in each other's embrace.

*********************************

After such an amazing night, it was hard to ever imagine wanting to get out of bed or disturb this beautiful sleeping blonde viking that was resting so peacefully in my arms; my arms. We were breaking so many customs together, some for the better, some for the worst but it didn't matter because we had each other. I would never take this beautiful woman for granted again so long as I lived. She was my heart, soul and future.

As I wake, I softly move my hand to brush the loose strands of hair from her face so I can take time to admire it for just a moment longer. It was daybreak now, which was later than either of us usually slept but well before mid-morning. As I brush her hair, I see her lips curl into a soft smile as her hand slides from my chest to my shoulder and she lets loose a soft breath.

"Good morning." I whisper softly, and she nods lightly.

"Good morning." She answers, her eyes still not opening, but I feel her leg move to reconnect with mine as she rubs the side of her face against my shoulder.

"Sleep well?" I ask quietly and she just nods softly for a moment.

"Mmm. Better than normal to be honest." She answers, finally opening her eyes and hers meeting mine, she leans in and kisses me softly on the lips. "Went to bed very relaxed" She adds, and I smile.

"Me too." I answer and return the kiss. My hand finding hers as we share this brief moment of peace before we started our mid-day recon. This right here was yet another thing I had that was worth fighting for. I'd never let anything happen to Toothless, but I'd also never let anything happen to Astrid; not if it was within my power to prevent.

We stayed like that for another thirty minutes easily, both awake with our eyes closed softly as we just enjoyed each other's warmth. Eventually we were fully disturbed as Toothless made his way in from the roof from outside and plopped onto his heat rock, causing us both to snicker as I look at her and smile.

"Guess we should get up." I say, more as a question than a statement and she groans, leaning her head into my chest.

"Do we have too?" She asks rhetorically and before I can answer, feel her finger press against my lips. "Yes, I know we have too. I'm just…" she pauses and scrunches up to me. "Mmm, very comfortable." She finishes, closing her eyes lightly again as I smile.

"Me too, there's nothing I'd rather do than spend the day with you like this." I admit and she opens her eyes with a smile, and I nod. "Okay, more than just this, but this." I add suggestively and she nods before slowly sitting up, the blanket falling to her hips as the sun filters in, giving me time to just lay back and admire her.

"What?" She asks with a smile as she scoots.

"You're beautiful." I answer simply and see her cheeks flush red as she gets up.

"And yours. Come on, let's clean up and get dressed." She says and I nod, fighting my way out of the bed.

After reattaching my leg, we both take the extra time to help scrub each other down before we put on our riding cloths. I see the scales she had collected which reminded me to collect them from the others when we got back. Grabbing a quick bite form our stores, we head to our dragons and take off towards the Academy. Shockingly, we weren't the first ones there, Eret was there with Skullcrusher, waiting. I flag him as Stormfly and Toothless land inside.

"Eret, you're here earlier than expected?" I ask and he nods, holding a piece of parchment up.

"I've got word, Hiccup." Eret says as both Astrid and I approach. "Vern was able to send word; he's safe for the time being, his cover intact. Apparently, after some interrogations, the Warlords found two suspects they thought could be the leaks and executed them." Eret explains and I feel my fists clench.

"Like, executed, executed?" I ask. That wasn't really a common thing in the archipelago. Sure, getting thrown overboard, exiled or the like was common. Drago was really the one who coined killing those who got in his way; if Krogan and his own attempt on Eret was proof enough.

"Beheaded, to be exact. Khan took both of their heads." Eret adds.

"Is Vern safe?" I ask and he sighs.

"He claims to be, but I don't know how long I trust him to remain so. Each message he sends me puts him at greater risk. He was on deck when Khan took their heads. Hiccup, we need to be careful what we say when we encounter these Warlords again, they may still be trying to weed out leaks." Eret adds and I glance to Astrid.

"Like Viggo did to Heather." Astrid says softly and I find her hand and squeeze it.

"We'll be careful. Did Vern give any information on their movements?" I ask and Eret nods.

"Aye. We know where they're going to be and the path they're taking. Right now, they're keeping around Hysteria. They still are hunting a Doomfang, they lost half a dozen men to the dragon three days ago. They also had a run in with the Hysterics when they tried to set up shop on the island that cost them a boat and a few more men." Eret explains and I nod.

"Obviously not locals; everyone knows that the Hysterics are brutal and intelligent barbarians. It's like an island full of Dagur's." I say softly and glance to Astrid. "Pre-Viggo Dagur's." I add and she shudders. Dagur had tried to kill me so many times in those days, it was still hard to believe I considered him an actual brother now; though he did earn it.

"Right, well, what's the plan, Chief?" Eret asks.

"We'll wait for everyone else, then recon the area. We will not engage them this time, now we are gauging their forces. Which is what we should've done the first time. Let's see if we can identify the leaders, what ships are their flagships. If we see them succeed in trapping the Doomfang, we'll engage only to free it. If they have any other dragons, we'll try to free them on a case by case basis, but we cannot afford a repeat of last time." I state and Astrid nods in agreement.

"Eret. Both you and my mother will be joining us on this run. We will go over tactics when the other riders get here, for now, make sure you're ready to leave by mid-morning. You've got the hour. Astrid and I are staying here, and we'll form a plan." I finish and Eret nods, handing me the paper and hopping on Skullcrusher.

"Hiccup, regardless of what happened last time, I've got your back. You're doing good. I'll see you two in an hour; I've got some things to get." Eret says and I smile.

"Oh Wait! Eret, I told the others, but I'll tell you the same. Start collecting Skullcrusher's scales as he sheds, at least two barrels worth. I've got a few ideas." I add and he nods.

"You've got it. Be back soon." He says and takes off.

Glancing at the paper, then to Astrid I sigh. I feel her hand find my cheek as her lips find mine.

"We'll be okay, Hiccup. We'll beat these guys. It's what we do." She says softly with a smile and I nod.

"Yes, it is. Thank you, Astrid." I say and she nods, kissing me again.

All that was left now was coming up with a crazy but safe plan and waiting for everyone else to get here. This was going to be an interesting day to be sure.


	25. Recon

A little after mid-morning, 9 or so, everyone was at the Academy ready and raring to go. It was the best part of any given mission, the mission briefing, where you get to field all sorts of ridiculous questions and squash even more ridiculous ideas. Especially if you have the Twins and Snotlout on your team. They always seemed to have the most asinine ideas pop into their brains and rarely, if ever, filtered them before it left their mouth.

"Alright, any questions on the plan?" I ask aloud, looking across the floor as Astrid and my mother stand beside me.

"Okay, okay. Let me make sure I understand this." Tuffnut begins and I inwardly roll my eyes. "You want us to fly out on our dragons, and not blow anything up?" He finishes and then I outwardly roll my eyes as I nod.

"Yes, Tuff. That's the point of recon. Stealthy. Think, Changewing." I answer

"Yeah, but Changewings can actually turn invisible and spit acid. We can't do that." Ruff answers and I just shake my head.

"Any other questions?" I ask again and everyone shakes their head, I nod. "Okay, final part of this. When we reach the area, we'll be splitting up into three teams to cover more ground. If you spot anything, do not engage and instead signal using your dragon calls." I state and then look to Astrid briefly before looking back to the others.

"Okay, Eret, you, Fishlegs and Snotlout will be Team One. Astrid, you, and my mother are Team Two. Ruffnut, Tuffnut, you and I are Team Three." I state and point to the map around Hysteria. "These are your areas to cover. Again, you are not to engage anyone, that means on the mainland or the waters. Work with each other. Actually listen to each other, please. We do not want to engage these guys until we're ready. If we find them trapping, we'll regroup and revise on the fly. For now, we are trying to confirm intelligence and numbers." I finish. "Final questions?" When no one answers, I nod. "Okay, gang. Be safe, travel quiet and be ready. I'll see you in the air." And with that, everyone gets to their dragons for last minute prep before mounting and takeoff.

As I'm rechecking Toothless's tail and saddle, I feel a presence behind me cause me to turn as Astrid is standing there with an odd look on her face.

"You're okay, right?" She asks softly, looking down at my abdomen where the axe blade struck me, I smile and nod.

"I'm fine, Astrid. Be safe while you're out there, please." I say to her and she looks at me with a weak smile and shakes her head.

"You're the one who took the axe, Hiccup. Not me" She retorts with a smile and I shrug.

"I'll try to avoid that this time, I promise." I answer and she nods, leaning in and kissing me softly on the lips.

"You better, trappers or no, I can't lose you out there, Hiccup." She says softly and I grab your shoulders and pull her in for a tight embrace.

"You aren't going too, there's only one place I'll be going by this day, or any future day's end. Home with you." I answer quietly in her ear as I feel her grip tighten and she nods.

"Good answer. I'll see you in the air." She says and smiles. I pull her in for one final kiss before taking off and she nods, and before long, we are all in the air.

The flight southeast towards Hysteria was only about a couple hours at a comfortable pace and before much longer, we were splitting off in our groups. The twins and I peeling to the northern side of the island as the others peeled to cover the south eastern and western sides of the island.

Our initial canvassing of the waters around the island proved to be empty, which matched with intelligence. My mother and Astrid should see a ship and give us a call before too long. If we saw the ship it'd mean someone went wrong with the information or Vern was compromised. After a second sweep of no dragon call or ship sighting, I motioned for a nearby sea stack for the twins and I to set down on to rest the dragons wings briefly. And it wasn't long after that the twins were up to their usual antics.

"So, Hiccup. Chief. Chief Hiccup. Hiccup the Chief. Chiefly Hiccupouptus of the Haddokous." Tuffnut began with spouting various naming conventions of my name and title. Rolling my eyes I turn and look at him.

"Yes, Tuffnut? Just, Hiccup is fine." I shrug, I'd never been one for titles.

"I've got a serious question to ask you. A super serial question. Life or Death. As in, someone could die." Tuffnut adds.

"Yeah, maybe it's Tuffnut." Ruff chimes in and is ignored as Tuff continues.

"When are, you and Astrid the Bossy, going to get hitched. We've already planned one wedding, Dagur and Mala, quite successfully. You would be honored to have us plan yours." Tuffnut says, placing a hand to his chest and pointing a finger in the air and I roll my eyes.

"Uh, can we not talk about this on a mission?" I ask, looking back out over the ocean as I hear them both exclaim.

"Uh, when are we going to talk about it!? You and Astrid are like, glued together nowadays. I can't even remember the last time I saw Stormfly in her roost at Astrid's place." Ruffnut adds and I wince as I feel them both looking at my back.

"Wait a minute." Tuffnut says, having Belch move him closer to my left as I grit my teeth. "Come to think of it, I've seen a particular Nadder at our Chiefly Hiccup's House on recent days, a lot. Questions, questions." Tuffnut continues, him and Belch now hovering besides me as I try to ignore them and gaze out into the ocean. Odin only knows why I thought it'd be a good idea to take the twins.

"Yes, questions indeed, Brother Nut. What have you to say, Hiccup?" Ruffnut adds, her and Barf now on my right as I shake my head.

"Uh, nothing to say besides I'm Chief and Leader of the Dragon Riders. So, what I have to say is focus on the mission." I answer and I hear Tuff sigh.

"Typical deflection. Maybe we'll do some scouting of our own tonight." Tuffnut adds and internally I wanted to scream at them but luckily their train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a Deadly Nadder's dragon call.

"Dragon Call. Twins, to the air and be ready. Astrid and my Mother must've found something!" I exclaim and hear them both shout.

"Yeah! Finally, I was getting bored. Wait, what were we even talking about?" Tuffnut asks and Ruff just shrugs as I internally thank Thor that these two muttonheads had such a short attention span. Most times it was annoying, sometimes it was quite helpful. Taking to the air, we fly to the western side where my Mother and Astrid were canvassing.

*********************************

Peeling away and heading to the western side of this island was arguably one of the more challenging times I'd have leaving Hiccup to do his own thing. Sure, I've been paired with everyone from Snotlout to Fishlegs to the Twins and have had no issue because it was what Hiccup asked. But this time, this was his first mission after nearly being cleaved in two by that Ragnar. Just thinking about it made my blood boil. I was also sort of annoyed with Hiccup for pairing me with his mother, I loved Valka, don't get me wrong, but she was far too keen for my liking.

"Something troubles you, Astrid?" Valka says as she glides besides me and I groan internally and shake my head.

"I've just got a bad feeling about this." I admit

"About what? You know Hiccup gave us the area to expect trouble, he trusts us both more than the others. What troubles you, m'dear?" She asks in a truly motherly tone that honestly made me feel like opening up. It was annoying how mothers could always seem to do that; whatever internal armor around your feelings you were wearing, they ignored and pried open.

"I just, I know it's just recon. But none of our recon missions were ever just recon. The last time we did this Hiccup almost died. I'm not ready for that." I struggle to say aloud as we glide close together, surveying the sea on our first pass.

"No one ever is, Astrid." She says somberly and I mentally kick myself for forgetting who I was talking too and who she just lost.

"I-I'm sorry." I stammer and Valka just shakes her head and smiles.

"No need. It warms my heart knowing Hiccup has you to look after him when he fails to do so himself. He's a risk taker, he needs the safety line even when he doesn't think he does." She says and I nod. Thinking back to the countless times back on the Edge, I could write several books about all the times he nearly died, or I did, for that matter.

"Thank you for being so supportive of us, Valka. It means a lot." I say and she laughs and nods.

"Of course, Astrid. You know, Stoick and I weren't the traditional Viking couple either. I've walked your path and can see a lot of me in you. Attitude wise, you're closer to Stoick though." She says with a smile and I laugh.

As we laugh together, my eyes trail to a sea stack with a trio of boats anchoring and my laugh subsides as I point it out to Valka. Her smile fades and her face grows stone cold in a heartbeat. Glancing to me, she gives me the nod and I do my dragon call as our dragons start to climb high to avoid being seen. Though it seems that was too late as both Valka and I hear a loud metal clank and as I finish my dragon call, I look back down mid climb and see a large metal net about to engulf us.

Valka darts back and does a trick maneuver to avoid it but my hands were tied with the Dragon Call I couldn't move Stormfly quick enough as I feel the net encase us. Just like when Dagur got the drop on us while we were in Breakneck Bog.

"Astrid!" I hear Valka cry out as Stormfly and I start to fall hard and fast. Luckily, I feel the powerful Talons of Cloudjumper latch onto the net as I hear the familiar sound of a Night Fury as Hiccup races in and unleashes a volley of blasts towards their net guns. As Hiccup and Toothless spiral down towards the ships, I hear him call out.

"Get her to safety. Twins, Fog of Fire!" He shouts as I can barely see him perform another barrel roll and lob another series of shots. Toothless was truly one of a kind. In rapid succession, he has around a six shot limit, but his shots seem to recharge so quickly if he spaces them out, he can fire indefinitely. I hear the familiar spark of Belch as there is a massive explosion as Cloudjumper lands on a nearby sea stack and Valka undoes the trap.

I hadn't noticed, but the metal net had dug into my arm and left a searing burn mark on my right arm that actually stung quite a bit. Looking over the edge, I see a large area engulfed in smoke from the twins unleashing their fog of fire. Snotlout, Fishlegs and Eret also seemed to join the fray as I look to Valka.

"Go help them, I'm fine." I say and she shakes her head.

"All due respect Astrid, I'd never hear the end of it if I left you up here hurt or not. Let's give them a minute to sort it out." She answers and I sigh. Great, now I get to feel bad for making Valka sit on the side lines cause I was dumb enough to let myself get netted.

"It was just supposed to be recon." I mutter as I watch the five dragons lay siege to the boats that attacked me.

"You said it yourself. Recon never stays recon for long." She answers as she leans over the edge and narrows her eyes, looking at something. "Where's Hiccup?" She asks and I feel my heart drop as I rush back to the edge and glance over. Where once there was five dragons there are now only four and none of them are firing.

"No, no, no." I mutter and move to hop on Stormfly as I feel Valka grab my wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asks.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to Hiccup. Period." I answer and shake her grip off and dart down the sea stack with Stormfly. My arm hurt against the wind but it was nothing to what I'd feel if I let him get hurt again. Valka was right on my tail with Cloudjumper and made no point to stop me, maybe she realized she couldn't.

The two of us dart onto sea level and charge towards the boats. I can see Hiccup on deck with a blade out facing a couple men and a couple caged dragons. Of course, he jumped down to save the dragons, he's Hiccup. Why wouldn't he risk his life to save a few dragons. I swear to Thor, I'm going to hurt him myself.

I see one of the men about to lob a hatchet at him and tap Stormfly on the neck, unleashing a precise spike attack that knocks the hatchet down and I land next to Hiccup and dismount with Valka close behind me.

"Uh, hey, I had this under control. Are you okay?" Hiccup says, glancing to the burn mark on my arm. I glance back to him and sigh.

"Don't. Let's save the dragons." I answer and he nods. Valka moves off and undoes the cages while Hiccup and I tag team the people on the deck.

Truth be told, I had grown to love fighting side by side with him. It was as though we read each other's moves. Where I hooked one man's axe and sent him stumbling, Hiccup was ready to strike them in the gut with the pommel of his blade, then hit them in the back of the head. Ducking as he did, he gave me clearance to swing my axe and slice at the man coming up behind Hiccup.

Flipping his dragon's flame sword, he spiraled the hilt and unleashed the Zippleback Gas towards one of them and then igniting it, creating a small cone blast the blew him right off the boat. Turning to me, Hiccup smiles and I feel any anger I had towards him for jumping on deck evaporate and all I wanted to do was kiss him. There'd be time for that later, though.

"That's all of them." Valka says, running up to us.

"Okay, back on the Dragons. The other ships seemed empty and none of these ships had either Khan or Ragnar. We lucked out, but we'll need to check that intelligence report. For now, we saved some dragons, so that's enough." Hiccup says and both Valka and I nod. Hopping back on our dragons, we take off with a Gronkle and Zippleback in tow.

"THAT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!" I hear Tuffnut shout at the top of his lungs.

"YEAH! Okay. Fog of Fire. New Favorite." Ruffnut adds and Tuff nods.

"Absolutely, Sister Nut."

"Eret, anything on your side of the island?" Hiccup calls back and Eret shakes his head.

"Nay, it was all quiet til we heard the Dragon Call. I'm concerned that this doesn't match up exactly with what Vern said. He's usually a stickler for details. I want to pull him out." Eret finishes and I feel for him.

"I agree. Do you have other contacts you can use?" Hiccup calls back and he nods.

"I still now a few trappers who are old friends. One or two of them might even be sympathetic like Vern is. I'll see about getting word to them. I've been keeping it shallow in case any of them were caught, they wouldn't give the others up." Eret says.

"Would they betray each other?" I ask, glancing back to Eret. He sighs and I see his hand cover his chest where Drago branded him.

"Torture can break even the strongest of hearts, if applied with enough cruelty. I wouldn't wish it on my enemies." Eret says and I feel myself shudder as I glance back up to Hiccup who has shifted his gaze to me. His face softens as he nods.

"More of that when we're on dry land. For now, good work everyone. Mom, can you find these two a home when we get back?" Hiccup asks.

"Of course." She says and I let loose a deep sigh. The flight back would be riddled with challenging thoughts of what ifs and maybes. These new trappers were playing for keeps, just like Drago, only they didn't have a Leviathan under their control. That made them no less deadly or evil in their machinations. I just hope we can stay ahead of their curb.


	26. A Familiar Name

It was another couple weeks after we landed that Eret heard word from one of his other contacts, though he hasn't heard back from Vern yet which is troubling. There had been no sign of the trappers out by Hysteria suggesting a change in tactics. Hiccup is trying to convince Eret to let us pull him out if he's still alive, but so far Eret has been unwilling to risk compromising his friends any further and seemed to be filled with a lot of anger, possibly guilt.

When Eret left the Trappers that were working with Drago, he left behind more than a few friends he had sailed with for years; and many of them were not bad people, just people doing a bad trade. It was no different than being a fisher or cattle farmer for these men; they did what they had to do to survive and never thought about the evils of their actions. Eret's eyes were finally opened when Stormfly saved him; he opened a few of his friend's eyes in the following month but still.

It was getting to be a lot to bear, to be honest. Eret had been over at Hiccup's house with him and I for the better part of each of these past two weeks; Valka too. Planning, arguing; it was making my head hurt as Hiccup tried to play the negotiator and Eret was as stubborn as a brick wall. The only good part of these past weeks had been the evenings when they left and it was just us, sitting before the fire pit and talking it out in a more reasonable tone. Sifting through the information together; he had grown to rely on me a lot since Dragon's Edge and I'd always be there for him. Tonight was a new night, and with word finally received, we had something new to argue about.

"I know what you're going to say, Hiccup. I can't risk Vern's life by swooping in unexpected, and I can't risk sending him a message. He has to lay low." Eret says angrily and Hiccup sighs.

"Eret, it's been two weeks. That's a long time for him, you've said so yourself. You got word from one of your other contacts, what did it say?" Hiccup says in his calm voice, not rising to Eret's anger. Valka and I sitting back, ready to intervene if need be with words of our own but, at Hiccup's request, remaining silent, for now.

"There is a new player in the game, a specialist. Supposedly, Khan hired someone he has worked with before and had worked with Drago. He has no name, and the man in question is only ever seen in a cloak and mask. He is lean and strong, though. Not the usual burly Viking sailor we're accustomed too." Eret answers and I'm suddenly having flashbacks to both Ryker and Viggo. Neither of them were typical Vikings, if they were even Vikings.

"Is he from the archipelago, the mainland?" Hiccup asks and Eret shakes his head.

"So far the information on this guy is little. He is elusive to say the least. What we do know is that he has a great deal of experience in the hunting, trapping and weaponization of dragons." Eret answers and my eyes widen.

"He can train dragons?" I mutter and Eret shakes his head.

"Train is a strong word but he can dominate them to do his bidding. Gerrick, the one who sent this message, witnessed him exert dominance over a Nadder similarly to how Drago did to Snotlout's Nightmare." He answers and I sigh, for that was an event that still haunted me. Seeing Drago wave his pike like some sort of lunatic and Hookfang cowering his head.

"That sounds a lot like some of the people we used to deal with back on the Edge. But we dealt with all of them." Hiccup says, shaking his head and glancing at me.

"We have the course of their ships. They are still focused around Hysteria. According to Gerrick, they really want to capture the Doomfang. This time, the mission is led by this specialist and Khan, though even Khan is reported to be taking a sidestep on the command in favor of whomever this is." Eret continues and Hiccup nods.

"When are they going to be back out there? We've been lucky to not have encountered the Doomfang yet, but something tells me our luck is going to run out soon." Hiccup suggests and I frown. I preferred his optimistic side.

"They'll be there within three days of this message reaching me. I'm not sure if Gerrick is with them, though I doubt it." Eret finishes and Hiccup nods.

"Okay, we head out there and scout the area for the next three days. Track all boat movement, look for anything beyond trading vessels that are passing through. We'll meet at the Academy in the morning to dole out assignments. Get some rest." Hiccup says, glancing to his mother and Eret and as Eret moves to leave, Hiccup adds. "Oh, and Eret, please consider my suggestion about pulling out Vern. We've run into that issue ourselves with a close friend of ours. She didn't want us to pull her out either, and she was very nearly killed. Just think about it." Hiccup finishes, and I can tell he's thinking of Heather. My heart aches a tad as I think back to that. That was the only time I've ever lied to him, and I regretted it, even if he forgave me for it long ago. Eret sighs and nods, leaving on Skullcrusher. Valka remains.

"So, son. What are you thinking?" Valka asks and I glance to Hiccup as he shrugs.

"That things might get complicated." He says softly, sitting back in his chair. She shakes her head.

"Not good enough. You know something you aren't saying." Valka adds and I can't stop the smile that forms on my lips. Mothers always seem to know. Hiccup only sighs and shrugs.

"Yeah, I'm thinking I might know who this specialist is, but I can't be sure. I don't want to be right." Hiccup says with another sigh and I get up and move next to him, taking his hand in mine.

"Whoever it is, we'll beat them together." I add and he smiles.

"Share; who do you think it is?" Valka asks softly and I glance to her then to him. From what I know, everyone who it could be should be dead. There is a long pause as Hiccup closes his eyes and I can see him grit his teeth as he breaths softly.

"Krogan." He says softly and I audibly gasp.

"No way. We heard the rumors that Drago had him executed." I say quickly and Hiccup shrugs.

"Yeah, but how often did Drago actually get his own hands dirty. No. I'm guessing that Krogan escaped like you guys did with Eret when Drago was going to execute you guys. Laying low and since Drago's death, has felt comfortable resurfacing. Eret said he wears a mask now, maybe that's to hide his identity from former coworkers." Hiccup says softly and I glance to Valka.

"And who is this Krogan?" She asks and I glance to Hiccup who has since placed his hand to his forehead, then look back to her.

"He was a bounty hunter and a right-hand assassin for Drago Bludvist. He tried to kill Hiccup multiple times and nearly succeeded on several of them. He's not really a trapper or hunter by trade, he just does the job he's paid to do, and does it very well most of the time." I explain. "He dominated Singetails to do the bidding of his own." I add and see her face contort with anger.

"Then we'll be on our guard. I'll see you two in the morning, have a good night, try to relax, Hiccup." She says, standing as Hiccup nods.

"You too, mom." He adds and escorts her out before returning and sitting with me in front of the fire. I had refilled our drinks and found my way sitting half on his lap and in his arms as he leans his head to the side of mine. He was mentally struggling with dealing with Krogan again, the first and few men Hiccup had ever actually tried to kill himself.

"Hiccup, babe, we'll be fine. We will beat him, again." I say softly, my face finding his cheek and turning his head to face me. He opens his eyes and gazes into mine and smiles weakly.

"I hope so. Tomorrow we'll find out Drago survived." Hiccup sarcastically says and I shake my head, leaning up and kissing him softly on the lips.

"Shut up and kiss me." I say softly and he needs no more command as he shifts his hips and leans into the kiss. Whatever the future held, we wouldn't let it threaten our dragons, our people or each other. We had grown stronger since the time of Krogan, possibly rusty, but we wouldn't let that man best us again. I had more to come home too now, more than I am willing to lose.

*********************************

The prospect of dealing with Krogan again filled me with an anger I didn't realize I had, it was similar to the prospect of dealing with Drago. Both men ruthless and cold; deserving of no mercy or talks. I would do the world a service to remove them from it entirely. It scared me that those thoughts struck so strongly to me when thinking about Krogan.

I had given the briefing to everyone, and we had split up into different teams as we begin our recon again. Luckily, we had backup this time. Dagur and Heather had both showed up on their own dragons and were working with us; their dragons Sleuther and Windshear a welcome addition to our pack.

Heather, Astrid and Valka had all opted to team together which made me nervous but not due to their inability. Those three are some of the strongest among us, but I learned about Heather and Astrid's boytalk phase back on the Edge and wasn't too excited about them rehashing that with my mother around.

Snotlout, Eret and the Twins formed the second group with Dagur, Fishlegs and I taking the third group. We patrolled together and watched the waterways around the island. Dagur had really grown considerably in the past couple years since his marriage with Mala.

"Brother! It has been so long. I am sorry that I was unable to be here for Stoick's Day, but I'm not sure I would've been welcome considering.." He starts and trails off into a laugh before sighing. "the past." He finishes.

"Dagur, you've grown and changed. I've considered you my brother for a couple years now, and I know that my father would've welcomed you, especially considering everything you've done since." I answer and he smiles, genuinely.

"Yeah, I've been keeping in touch with Heather, you two have changed the Berserkers for the better!" Fishlegs adds and Dagur laughs.

"I had considered changing our tribe from the Berserker Tribe but, that's our roots. We'll always be a little…" he trails off to his customary laugh before pausing and smiling. "Berserk."

"No argument there." I say lightheartedly

"I can't thank you enough for inviting Heather and I on this mission! The thought of getting another crack at Krogan makes my head spin! I never did get to properly meet him before, and I know Sleuther would love to give him a 3-point high fight!" He exclaims with a maniacal laugh that I had honestly just come to ignore as part of how he talks. Hours and hours and hours and hours of alone time does damage to ones sanity when stranded on an island, even if it was years ago.

"So, how're things with the Defenders of the Wing and Mala?" I ask mid flight and he laughs.

"Great, Hiccup! Absolutely great! Mala completes me. She has really helped reform the Berserkers too." He answers

"I had heard that she makes regular visits from Heather, that's awesome!" Fishlegs adds

"How about you, Chief Hiccup! How're things with your blond viking warrior lover?" Dagur asks and I laugh nervously as I feel both his and Fishlegs' eyes look to me from my wings.

"Going great. Not married yet but don't worry, I'll send you a Terror Mail as soon as it happens." I answer

"They've been together a lot more since too, they practically act like they are married! It's so adorable!" Fishlegs adds and I scoff.

"Fishlegs!" I exclaim and he just giggles to himself as Dagur pulls up next to me.

"You know, Hiccup. Mala completes me. I've seen how you and Astrid are together. I don't think that's something even Mala and I have. Cherish it, brother." He says simply and I nod and smile. Sometimes Dagur could go from serious to deranged to maniacal to thoughtful in the same sentence. It was actually quite terrifying.

Our conversation is interrupted by the dragoncall of a Monstrous Nightmare, from Snotlout. Glancing to Fishlegs and Dagur, I nod and they resume their wing formation and join me as we take high to the sky and dive to the other side of the island, where we find the other dragons already circling high in the sky as we join them. Below we can see a half dozen ships, and worst of all, the Doomfang is caught in a net.

Pulling up to Eret, we glance down. "They moved faster than expected." I say as I pull out my spyglass and look down on deck. The others talking as I scope the deck, I see something I was afraid of.

On the deck of the one of the larger ships is a man tied to a mast. "Eret." I say, getting his attention and tossing him the spyglass. "Is that Vern on the boat due north?" I ask and he looks down and I see his shoulders drop.

"That's Vern." He says solemnly and I sigh.

"Alright gang, this has turned into a rescue mission. We're going to redivide our groups." I state. "Astrid, you, Heather and Dagur are responsible for destroying the net. Your dragons have good speed and Windshear can cut through almost anything. Dagur, you are covering them." I explain and look directly to him in the eyes and he nods.

"On my life, brother." He answers as he understands my silent message. I'm trusting him to watch over his sister and my love and he knew it. If anything, I think it made him happy.

"Snotlout, you, Fishlegs and the twins are our distraction. Whatever you need to do to light up the other boats. Clear their decks, take out their emplacements and keep them busy." I look to them and see the twins grow a mischievous smile.

"I love it when Hiccup gives us the jobs of destruction." Tuffnut says wiping an imaginary tear from his face.

"It's like he knows us so well." Ruffnut adds as Snotlout sighs at their over-production of it.

"Eret, you, my mother and I are going to get Vern out of there." I finish and they nod. Sighing I look around us and add. "Okay gang, remember, we may be dealing with Krogan again, and these are trappers. Expect dragonroot arrows and dragonproof chains and nets. Work together and stay safe. No one play the hero today. Steer clear of the Doomfang at all costs, we do not want to anger it or make it attack us. We want to release it and let it go back to sea. Hopefully." I finish and glance around. "Any questions?"

Everyone shakes their head and I nod, smiling. "Alright, let's do this!" And they all shout as my eyes find Astrid's for a moment before we all dive down. This would be dangerous, and I keep feeling like I am forgetting something…


	27. Ruthless

This is different than the times on the Edge, even though Krogan changed the game, this was a new problem entirely. We've dealt with those who would risk or threaten the lives of innocents, use tactics to confuse us while attempting to destroy islands, we have even dealt with those who tried to use our fellow riders against us by purposefully endangering their lives. It was old hat by this point, the rules in the Archipelago had changed; people like Viggo and Drago changed them. People became pawns in a life size Maces and Talons game, where everyone, even their own kin was expendable for the profit. It was not a world I wanted to be a part of.

Human greed and lust for power was destroying the tranquility of life in the archipelago and had been for years. Sure, nature must run its course and there will be people who die, dragons who are killed, islands that are reclaimed by the ocean. But that is as Mother Nature demands, not by the whims of a power-mad human with a fetish for gold pieces and death. It boiled my blood just thinking about it and today was no different.

Krogan or no Krogan, these trappers had changed the game. They were in the process of capturing the Doomfang, and they had captured and tied Vern to the mast. A mast, by the way, that was within the Doomfang's line of fire should they lose control of it. It was strategic; purposeful.

Snotlout, the Twins and Fishlegs running point on fleet-wide distractions, the explosions were already palpable as I feel the rush of heat followed by the spray of cool sea water fill the air. They had created an excellent distraction, as they had on the Edge, with countless men screaming from deck and letting loose even more arrows tipped with Dragonroot and dragon-proof chains and nets launching. They had given up using catapults awhile ago, dragons were fast movers and the catapults worked well as siege weapons, not aerial defensive weapons.

The moment the first salvo was unleashed, I could see Astrid, Heather and Dagur dive in and begin to systematically attack different points of the net containing the Doomfang. Dragon proof netting or not, Heather's Razorwhip could slice through literally anything, so Astrid and Dagur were flying on her wing. The net itself was anchored to six different ships, as the Doomfang was a Titan Wing sized dragon, easily triple the size of Hookfang. They were getting shot at as well, but it was much less than the others were.

Eret, my mother and I dived towards the ship where Vern was tied. Barreling in with Toothless, I cleared the deck of the two forward arrow emplacements as my mother and Eret cleared out the stern. There was no sign of the masked man nor Khan, but if this many ships were here then they must be somewhere. They were not the mission though, honestly if we could avoid them entirely it'd be better. I'm not excited about rehashing it out with Krogan.

Skullcrusher takes Eret near Vern as I have Toothless perch on the mast that Vern is tied too. The roars of the Doomfang deafening as Heather destroys another piece of the net.

"Vern? Vern!" I call out as I walk along the mast with Eret hovering beside. My mother flying a low circle to watch over in case we are surprised.

"Vern, wake up damn it!" Eret snaps and I see his head move slowly as I reach him. He was unconscious and severely wounded. One of his eyes had a large knife wound cutting down it and I could see signs of blood on his back where his shirt was ripped.

"Eret, he doesn't look good!" I call out and move to remove the chains only to find it's dragon proof chains. "They've got him tied with dragon proofing! I can't cut through this!"

"Damn it! We'll break the mast!" Eret yells out as I wave my hands.

"That could just cause him to plummet to deck or out to sea!" I exclaim and suddenly hear a familiar and wrenching laugh as I hear my mother above.

"Hiccup! Look out!" She calls out as I feel Toothless grab my back and pull me towards him. A large axe, taller than me, spirals past where I had been standing. Looking down, I see the cloaked figure with his arms crossed on deck. The resemblance, even beneath a cloak, was uncanny. The same as when Viggo had placed that bounty on me and Krogan bested Throk.

"Toothless, take me down there." I say, hopping on Toothless.

"Hiccup. You can't be serious. He just tried to kill you." Eret remarks and I shake my head.

"Stay up here with Vern, I'll see where this goes. Be ready to smash the mast, we'll try to save Vern, I promise." I say and Toothless jumps me down in front of him. He slow claps as I dismount and removes his hood with the same smile. That sociopathic, murderous smile that made my blood boil. I feel my fist clench as my teeth grit, I should've made sure he was dead years ago when he vanished.

"Krogan." I say through gritted teeth and he smiles.

"Hiccup. What a pleasant day to see you. I see you know our mutual friend Vern, and is that Eret up there? Oh, the irony." Krogan begins with a light laugh.

"Why are you here? How did you survive?!" I demand and he shrugs.

"Drago doesn't take kindly to failure but luckily most of his lackies were not up to the task of killing me. I got a nice scar out of it though. I hear you're Chief now, dear old dad died by Drago's own hand, I hear." Krogan says, narrowing his eyes and widening his smile. He's taunting me, and it's honestly starting to work.

"What. Did you do to Vern?" I struggle to say, trying my hardest to not lash out. I was not the same kid I was when we knew each other, I was Chief. I was no Astrid in combat, but I was no pushover anymore, either. The Viking side of me wanted to make Dagur proud and put his head on a pike.

"Like Drago, I don't have much tolerance for traitors or those that question orders. Vern was the former and the ladder. That eventually tipped my good friend Khan off, who sent for me a few weeks ago. You see, we've had a rough time rounding up Singetails since last time, but I've a new plan." Krogan says simply, his eyes gazing upwards towards Eret and my mother. "That first starts with the death of one Hiccup Haddock and all of his people. I learned a lot from you out beyond, I know not to underestimate you like I had before." Krogan continues in what feels like a written speech or monologue. Apparently, he had taken to Viggo in his methodology.

"You'll have a tough time meeting that goal, Krogan. And you won't escape this time, either." I answer, narrowing my eyes.

"Oh, my. Hiccup, you have grown. Why I almost heard myself in your tone back when I was your age. Well, today you have a choice to make." Krogan says as he smashes his boot to the deck.

Suddenly, Khan and nearly a dozen trappers exit the interior with weapons drawn as Krogan opens his palms wide.

"You can choose to surrender, right now. I'll make your death painless, and will let your friends go free, including Vern. You can choose to fight, which is what I expect. In which case, I will make your death as painful and slow as possible, long enough for you to see the deaths of all your people and dragons." Krogan says and I sigh. Krogan hadn't changed, or maybe he has. He was more like Drago, maybe worse.

"Yeah, I'll be honest. Not a fan of either, so how about option three. We do what we came here to do, you fail, and your associates kill you, then we mop of the rest." I retort before glancing upwards towards Eret. "NOW!" I yell, hearing Skullcrusher roar as the sound of a large tail impacting and destroying a mast is heard. Not the plan I had hoped for, but hopefully enough of a distraction to get out of here and still save Vern. Fight it is.

*********************************

So far, so good. We had released three of the six positions of the net. One more and the dragon could probably free itself, three more and we ensure it does. Dodging consistent arrow fire, even if it wasn't the bulk, slowed our progress considerably. Dagur had really proven himself and I think Heather had been training him as a Rider, because he knew how to fly in the wing and was more efficient at blocking arrows than I was. Rounding for another pass, my heart sinks as I spot Skullcrusher hovering near Vern and Hiccup and Toothless on deck. As the pass goes nearer, I can see Krogan, and I want nothing more than to have Stormfly single spine shot him, or fly down to Hiccup and be at his side; or, for Thor's sake, both.

Something was going terribly wrong as I spot the ensemble of men exit the hold and partially surround Hiccup before I hear him suddenly shout up. I can see Skullcrusher and Eret do a swift whiplash using the large bludgeoning tail to completely demolish part of the mast Vern is stuck on as it begins to plummet and Hiccup darts to Toothless.

"Hiccup's in trouble!" I shout out as I glance to Dagur and Heather.

"Go! I'll cover Heather!" Dagur commands and I wince.

"No, you can't be on both sides at once. We must get this dragon free. On your next pass, let loose a volley towards the men surrounding Hiccup!" I order and see them both nod as I hear the metal clank of Heather's Razorwhip slicing the fourth next hook and we begin our next run.

An explosion rocks the side of the waters as the twins completely destroy a boat with Barf and Belch's gas by filling the hold and igniting it. That gave me the opening I needed on my next pass as I see Khan level a blade towards Toothless as he's trying to take off. A well-placed tap on Stormfly's neck and she unleashes a single spine shot that nails the sword to the deck, prompting him to look in our direction. Sleuther and Windshear both unload a volley of their own, with Windshear sending a couple well placed spikes towards one of the archers that prompts even more chaos.

I can see Eret chase down the mast as Valka moves in to help cover Toothless as they find clearance to take off without getting pelted with arrows. Starting our next pass, I hear Dagur laugh manically that causes me to look at him as he is holding two arrows in his hands.

"Do you see this?! They actually think they can just shoot arrows at me!? ME?! Ha, HAHA!" He laughs, tossing the arrows down as Heather looks to me and we both shrug in unison. It's taking every iota of willpower to not go to Hiccup's side, but like back on the Edge, we had agreed that it would be business as usual during missions. I hear the metal clank and the immediate roar of the Doomfang as Heather hits the fifth latch and the Dragon finally manages to break free on its own and dives deep underwater.

I see Hiccup and Toothless spiral upwards with Cloudjumper and Skullcrusher close behind, Skullcrusher carrying a large mast. Looking to Snotlout and the others, I wave them over.

"Fall back!" I shout and everyone starts to peel off; climbing high into the sky into the clouds to avoid the reach of their arrows, I pull up next to Toothless and see Hiccup with an arrow in his shoulder. He is struggling to fly Toothless and sees me pull up to him, he shakes his head.

"Don't say it. Just a, ah, flesh wound." Hiccup says and I can see the look in his eyes, he's angry.

Not taking the chance of the hour-long flight back to Berk, we set down on a sea stack about twenty minutes out from the trappers so they can't catch up.

Everyone struggles to avoid rushing Hiccup's shoulder as he holds up his hand, dismounting Toothless. "New rules. Krogan is alive, and just as ruthless as Drago was, if not more. The last couple years hasn't been kind to him and he's become a menace with one goal; my death." Hiccup says, struggling internally. I can see his eyes twitching slightly and growing red as it seems he is fighting off tears.

"Hiccup, we need to get that arrow out." Heather says before I can even say anything, I'm still partially in shock I think, and she saw it. Hiccup just shakes his head.

"No, tend to Vern. I'll be fine. We need to free him of his bindings and get him to Gothi as soon as possible. Mom, fly ahead and warn the Aux riders to be on alert and let Gothi know we have Vern in dire need." Hiccup says, waving off Heather's attempt to approach him as I dismounted Stormfly and made my own way over.

"Hiccup." Valka starts but he holds up his hand.

"Please, mom, just do it. We'll have more time for questions later." He says and I see her shoulders drop. Something Krogan said or did must've really gotten under his skin, he wouldn't let us tend to his wound; he wouldn't even let Valka. Valka simply nods and jumps on Cloudjumper and takes off.

"Hiccup." I say softly, approaching him and as he raises his hand to wave me off like he did Heather, I take it in mine and step closer anyways. "Not how this works." I say softly and he sighs.

"Okay, what, in the name of Thor, happened?" Snotlout demands as I help Hiccup walk over to Vern. "Hiccup has a flipping arrow in his shoulder!" Snotlout exclaims as I glance back to him and shake my head softly.

"Eret, is he still alive?" Hiccup asks as we get closer.

"Barely. He won't survive the trip tied to this mast." Eret answers and Hiccup nods.

"Fishlegs, did you pack any Changewing Acid?" Hiccup asks

"Of course! I always come prepared. We'll need to be careful." Fishlegs says, hopping off Meatlug and shifting through his saddle. My eyes barely leave Hiccup as I see him fighting a wince. "Stand back, okay, carefully, right here. Just enough to burn through." Fishlegs says, talking to himself as he drops the acid on the part of the chain where the mast is. Still true to its effects, the acid burns through like yakbutter and Hiccup nods.

"Okay, let's get him onto Skullcrusher, and be careful of his back." Hiccup says as Heather and Dagur slowly roll him over. There is an audible gasp from everyone as we see what looks like dozens of lash marks with crusted over blood layered across his back.

"He was lashed. That's absolutely barbaric." Fishlegs exclaims.

"Such is the age of antiquity. Such a form of corporal punishment, the likes of which we have not seen in ages! I mean, I'm all for wanton destruction. Blood, fire, death, you know, the fun stuff. But that's just in poor taste." Tuffnut says as Ruffnut nods.

"Okay, guys. Not helping. Can you two and Snotlout circle the area and make sure we haven't been followed?" Hiccup says through a wince.

"Of course, sticking me with the twins. Again. I'll remember this, Hiccup." Snotlout says as the twins laugh, and the trio take off. Hiccup sighs, shaking his head.

"Let's secure him to Skullcrusher so his back won't be under any undue strain. Maybe he can still survive this." Hiccup says, looking to Dagur and Heather who nod, helping him up on Skullcrusher as Eret helps steady him.

"All set, brother." Dagur says and Hiccup nods.

"Dagur, Heather. I appreciate your help. If you two have the spare time, I'd like to see you both back on Berk tomorrow so we can hash some things out." Hiccup asks and I nod, smiling to Heather.

"We'd love to have you." I add as Heather and Dagur look at each other and nod.

"I think I'll come back tonight, if that's okay." Heather says and Hiccup smiles.

"Absolutely. Dagur?" He asks and Dagur shakes his head.

"I was only gone for the day; I need to talk to my acting chief about what to do. I'll be back tomorrow." Dagur answers climbing back on Sleuther.

"Thanks for helping today, brother." Hiccup says and Dagur nods and smiles, taking off. "Fishlegs, you and Heather take Eret's wing on the way back." Hiccup says and glances to me. "Astrid, you'll—"

"I'll be flying Toothless. I'm not going to let you fly in your condition, sorry, no veto on this." I state and his expression softens into a smile as he nods and shrugs.

"Okay, fine. Fair enough. Fishlegs, make sure the twins and Snotlout are following." Hiccup adds and he nods, the trio of them taking off. Now alone, I pull Hiccup close and hug him tightly.

"We're going to talk when we get home, something got under your skin, didn't it." I ask softly and he nods, letting loose a shaky breath. He had been playing the strong, tough Chief; like Stoick the Vast, but the encounter with Krogan obviously hurt him more than just his skin. "Let's go." I say, planting a soft kiss on his lips and climbing aboard Toothless with him holding onto my waist. Stormfly flying in my wing, we take off and follow the others to Berk. This was certainly going to be a challenging few months.


	28. Stratagem and Suits

We landed just before dusk and since Eret had left ahead of us, Gothi was already working on tending to Vern's wounds. There was a layer of herbs and bandages that layers the mans back as Hiccup and I climbed the stairs, Gothi drew her stick and started drawing in the sand. Gobber being up there with us begun translating.

"Chief, you need to slide off a plank?" He says before Gothi hits him with the staff. "Right, Sit on the bench. You're drawings are lax, crazy woman." He mumbles, rubbing his head. "She's going to remove the arrow and make sure it doesn't bleed out." Gobber continues and Hiccup nods as Gothi moves away from Vern and to his back.

"How is Vern doing?" Hiccup asks, my eyes watching Gothi as she readies herbs to replace the arrow when she pulls it.

"He'll be fine. None to happy when he wakes up though. Gothi said he won't be able to see out of one eye, and it'll be awhile before he can walk or even lay on his back again." Gobber explains as Hiccup glances to Eret who has stayed relatively silent.

I suddenly hear Hiccup cry out as Gothi pulls the arrow and his pain seems to immediately subside as she places a cloth over the wound. She looks to me and I nod, taking my hand and pressing it against the cloth and holding it there. Eret looks up to Hiccup and sighs.

"I don't know what to say, Hiccup. That was not what I expected." Eret admits.

"You've never dealt with Krogan or any of the Hunters from the Beyond have you?" Hiccup asks and he shakes his head.

"I was only ever contracted by Drago, never met Krogan or any of his other pals. Honestly had little interaction with Drago. We were freelancers." Eret explains. "Tell me of this Krogan?" Eret then asks and Hiccup winces from moving his shoulder.

"He wasn't the worst we've dealt with but certainly one of the more ruthless. Considers all of his men expendable, aims for the kill. I'd call him an assassin over a bounty hunter. He is committed to doing his job and will remove anyone in his way; even allies." Hiccup explains and glances to me and I nod.

"He turned on Viggo after Viggo was no longer useful. That turn ended up being his downfall because Viggo flipped to our side. His greatest weakness is his overconfidence in his own strengths and when he underestimates his targets." I add. "He's lost critical attacks against us on the Edge because of either of those two things." I finish and Eret nods slowly.

"We'll figure this out, Eret. We need to be smarter; he will exploit our weaknesses in that we care for each other." Hiccup says and suddenly Vern groans as he tries to move an arm.

"VERN!" Eret exclaims, rushing to his friend's side.

"Eret?" He says weakly as Hiccup and I share a smile.

"Don't speak. Rest. You're on safe grounds and you made it." Eret says and Vern groans again before closing his eyes. "Do you have a place where he can stay?" Eret asks and Gothi starts doodling with her stick again.

"He can stay here, I have spare beds on the second level." Gobber translates, pointing to the second floor of Gothi's hut.

"Thank you, healer." Eret says and Gothi nods.

"Okay, Eret, go get some rest. That goes for the rest of you in the peanut gallery. We'll talk more in the morning. Bring all of the scales I told you to collect to the forge." Hiccup states as Gobber glances at him.

"Are you going to start what I think you're going to start?" Gobber asks and Hiccup grins.

"It's been a long time coming, Gobber." Hiccup answers as I just glance between the two of them.

"Okay, enough with the vague-ness. Why?" Snotlout demand and for one of the few times, I agreed with him.

"Yeah, Hiccup. No secrets, what's it for?" I ask and he smiles towards me.

"We're making our own dragon suits." He answers in a shockingly gleeful tone as the rest of us gaze at him in a collective 'Huh?' gaze. He shakes his head and laughs to himself. "I'm going to show you how to combine the scales into riding suits so that you'll have fire-proof and sturdy flight armor. Don't worry, I won't be giving you guys wings or anything."

"Oh, thank Thor. I mean, I know you like that, but if I'm hundreds of feet in the air, I like the dragon under me." Fishlegs lets a long sigh out but smiles.

"What about arrows?" Tuffnut asks.

"Or rocks? Boars? Electric Shock!?" Ruffnut continues and Hiccup just places a hand to his head.

"Oh, gods. No. It will help protect you from arrows. Rocks will still hurt. It'll make you look like dragons with dragon scales; which arrows can unfortunately penetrate. But it'll add a level of safety, especially if we plan to keep our raids going against the trappers." Hiccup explains and they all seem giddy at the idea.

"Okay, so I have my scales, what about her. You know." Tuffnut says with a shrug pointing to Ruffnut.

"Hey, dummy, I have my scales. You haven't been collecting yours." She retorts

"Really, from which dragon?!" Tuff demands and we all laugh lightly

"Guys, same dragon." Hiccup states and looks to me "Why, why am I still saying this years later?" He says with a light smile and I laugh, my hand gently massaging the wound with the cloth and herb. I can tell it's taking the pain away as he nods with it.

"Okay, seriously. Get some rest. Mom, did you talk to the Aux riders?" Hiccup asks and Valka nods.

"Oh, Aye, son. Gustav was all to keen to order flight paths for them all. Snotlout, it seems Gustav has put your father on almost the whole night?" She asks and Snotlout laughs.

"Ha! Sucker. Feels good to see him take orders from Gustav. I mean, he's my dad but still." Snotlout says with a grin. "Alright, Snotlout is outlout!" And he heads off with the twins following suit.

"Hiccup, where can I stay?" Heather asks as people start making their way out, he glances to me and I nod.

"We have room if you want to stay with us." Hiccup says and I see her face flush and she stumbles her words.

"I wouldn't want to intrude." She stumbles and Hiccup just laughs.

"Nonsense. It's too cold to stay outside, and I haven't…" Hiccup pauses. I knew where he was going with it. He hasn't gotten rid of his fathers' bed. I smile and nod to him.

"There is a spare bed." I answer and she smiles and nods.

Slowly but surely, everyone makes their way out and I let Hiccup fly Toothless back so I can keep the cloth on his shoulder. Gothi gave us an extra herbal cloth and bandages to apply when he removed his vest, now all that was left was dinner and settling in for the night.

Heather was no stranger to Hiccup's house, having stayed there briefly some years ago when we first found her while she was working for Alvin. Different from then, as both Stoick was gone and I was there. Hiccup made a point to cook the food and let us sit, giving Heather and I some time to catch up.

"So, you live with Hiccup now?" She asks with a knowing gaze and I shrug and smile. We'd had our girl talk moments before, and I trusted her almost as much as I trusted Hiccup. It was hard earned though.

"Unofficially, for a few weeks now. What about you, any changes in your life?" I ask with a smile and she shrugs.

"Fishlegs and Snotlout have been fighting over Ruffnut since I've been on Berserker Island for so long; I think Fishlegs thinks of me as more of a friend now. And just no to Snotlout." Heather explains and we both laugh.

"I hear Tuff is available." I tease her and she visibly shudders.

"Also no. How old is Eret?" Heather asks and I audibly gasp and laugh.

"Something I should know about?" Hiccup suddenly says walking in with several plates and we both blush.

"Heather is scoping out potential suitors, apparently Eret is on her list." I state and feel Heather hit my shoulder as she scoffs, Hiccup laughs.

"Oh, now there's a match made in heaven. He's a great guy. What happened to Fishlegs?" Hiccup asks and we both roll our eyes.

"You know how him and Snotlout have been fighting over Ruffnut for like, the past year." I say with a partial laugh and he nods with a smile.

"Yeah, still not sure why." Hiccup admits and both Heather and I laugh as we start to dig into our plates.

"This is really good." Heather admits and Hiccup nods his head appreciatively as we all enjoyed a good meal.

The night was ending peacefully at least, with the trio of us sitting in front of the fire talking tactics and strategy considering Krogan had returned and Heather was of the more tactically minded. Neither Hiccup nor I cared about showing affection in front of her as I resumed my place halfway on his lap and in his arms. I showed Heather to her temporary bed and then found my place in Hiccup's arms in our bed. Though we'd not do anything with company, I felt at peace falling asleep in his arms.

*********************************

Morning came and I was the first to rise. Kissing Astrid gently on the lips as I move out of bed and start to get dressed, it wasn't even first light yet. I hear her murmur something and move back to the bed, placing another light kiss on her lips.

"Meet me at the forge when you wake up." I whisper and she softly opens her eyes and smiles, nodding. With that, I grab my own pack of Toothless's scales and head outside. Loading up Toothless, we take a quick and short flight to the Forge which allows me to quickly scope out the horizon. No signs of retaliation, and I can see Gustav's Nightmare circling above. That kid has come a long way since he was in Dagur's Berserker Apprenticeship.

Entering the forge, Toothless lights it for me and I pull out my designs. I had been toying with these ideas for a few months just never had the time to dedicate to it. Combining Toothless's Scales with my flight suit. Swapping the leg compartments that held the weaving for retractable wings for easier control and functionality. Even a helmet with Deathsong Amber covering the eyes. It was a work in progress but with Krogan on the loose, we needed every advantage we could get. I made sure to set up workspace for each of them before starting on my suit.

I was alone in that forge for easily an hour working on my suit, burning, and melding the scales into place. Luckily, I was a planner and had all the steps planned out so I could get it done as quickly as possible. My goal was to be done before anyone else showed up, though that was short lived as I heard a Nadder's chirp with Astrid and Heather flying together.

"Good morning, ladies." I say amid the heat and see Astrid pause as she looks into the forge at me. Her and Heather glance at each other before walking in with Astrid's large sack of scales. "Problems?" I ask as they get closer.

"Not at all. Good morning." Astrid says, closing in and kissing me. Smiling as we pull back, I lift the vest to show them.

"I am almost done with mine; my goal is to be done and able to help each of you make your own. Heather, you and Dagur are late in this idea but concept stands. Over the next few weeks, collect Windshear's scales. I'll brief Dagur when he gets here." I explain and she nods as Astrid moves over to my side to see the plans I had drawn.

"The idea here is each of us creating our own dragon flight suits. It'll also help us with wild or trapped dragons if they think we're one of them." I explain as I continue working on mine. Astrid and Heather watching me work closely. "We need every advantage we can get over Krogan. I intend to ensure we beat him for real this time." I add. I'd been lucky that Heather stayed with us because I was able to avoid talking about what Krogan said with Astrid. I would eventually, and I would with her gladly, but for now it was better to let it lie.

"Okay, that makes sense. How do I start?" Astrid asks, placing her hand on the small of my back and I smile. Taking her hand, I lead her to the workstation nearest mine with the designs for her suit. I had Gobber fashion everyone an initial suit that we could work on and alter while we were out and about. He was all to pleased to have something to do besides picking Dragon's Teeth or making saddles.

"I've outlined the instructions, step by step here. I'll be here the whole time, just let me know what you need." I say and she nods, smiling and squeezing my hand as I look to Heather. "Heather, you're more than welcome to watch and help Astrid so you have a better idea what to do when you collect your own." I add and Heather grins.

"Got it." She states and soon, they were busy working together on her suit. Between the forge and the sounds of tools, I couldn't hear all of their small talk, but it certainly sounded like boy talk. I just laughed to myself and smile softly as I finished my suit and Fishlegs and the others started trickling in.

Giving him my workspace, I gave everyone their own space as they arrived. Eret, the twins, Snotlout, Fishlegs were all soon hard at work like Astrid and Heather. I offered the concept to my mother but she seemed keen on her own flight suit and it had served her well for years, so I wasn't going to challenge it.

It took the others much longer than it took me to set up their suits, and by mid-morning, Dagur had arrived and I stepped away. With Astrid being the closest to being done, I gave her reigns while I talked to Dagur outside the Forge.

"Brother! What are they doing?" He exclaims after seeing everyone hard at work inside.

"They are making their own flight suits. Dragon proofed and more resistant to arrows. Helps with fire, arrows, swords. Like armor, but with dragon scales. I'm having them make their own, so they know how to repair it. It's a work in progress. I want you and Heather to do the same, collect scales from your dragons and I'll show you what to do." I explain and he nods briefly.

"I'm usually not a fan of full body armor." He admits and I shrug.

"We need every advantage we can get against Krogan." I answer and he nods.

"Fair enough. Speaking of. Tell me. What is the new rules, and what did he say?" Dagur asks and I glance at him with a wide look and he just laughs. "Oh, come on now, Hiccup. I've known you for how long, been trying to kill you for how long, now your ally for how long? I know you and something that man said riled you yesterday." Dagur states and I grumble, leading him to the side of the Forge.

"He talked about my father dying at Drago's hands, like it was some sort of joke or fond memory. It made me more upset than it should have." I admit and I feel Dagur place both hands on my shoulders.

"Brother, that was your father. I didn't show it much at the time, but you remember Vanaheim. Finding my father's remains, knowing how he choose to go out." Dagur begins softly before closing his eyes and sighing. "Krogan will pay for those comments, Hiccup. I swear this to you." Dagur affirms and I nod, extending an arm and we grip each other's forearms and nod.

"Thank you, Brother. Now, more good news. Vern is alive, and we'll be seeing if he can talk later today. Gothi is taking care of him. We've had no signs of the trappers, they may still be trying to catch a Doomfang. How long are you here?" I ask and he shrugs.

"My acting chief is good for at least a week and knows to send a T-mail if anything out of the ordinary happens. Business as usual on Berserker Island. Since the failed coup, everyone has been more than pleased with our direction." Dagur explains and I nod.

"Okay, I'm going to need you and my mother to fly back to Hysteria and just scout, absolutely no engagement. High in the clouds, just to see if they are still there. They may have had to return to their base, we did cripple many of their ships." I state and he nods.

"Got it, when she is ready, we'll head over there." Dagur finishes and I smile. It honestly made me feel better having him as an ally, even if he was a little insane at times.

Not longer after that, my mother arrived and she and Dagur took off towards Hysteria as I returned to the Forge. The suits were starting to come together with various different design alterations that made them unique to each rider. Astrid had been done and helping as I got back and pulled me over to show me hers. It was excellent, as good as mine on her first try. It was impressive, to be honest. With Heather also around to help, Astrid pulled me to the other side of the forge and into the small workroom I had claimed as my own.

No sooner than that door shutting was her lips pressed to mine and her body pushing mine to a wall. I didn't fight it, we weren't as intimate over the night as normal due to Heather but with everyone distracted, we could steal a moment. I felt her tongue trace my lips and was soon dancing with my tongue as my hands found her hips and hers found my neck. After several breathless seconds, we pulled barely apart and she smiled.

"Sorry, I'd been wanting to do that all morning." She says softly and I lightly trace her lips.

"No apology required. We should get back out there before they get curious." I admit and she audibly groans in frustration but nods. As she moves to pull away, I tighten my grip on her hips and pull her into another kiss. Pulling back, she narrows her eyes with a smile.

"Not fair." She states and I smile.

"We'll find real time and space tonight, I promise." I whisper and she closes her eyes into a smile and another kiss. We soon return to the others and no one is the wiser, well, scratch that. Heather shot us a knowing smile before returning her attention to Eret's suit and Astrid and I laugh between each other and break away, helping the others as needed.


	29. Test Burns

With the good always comes the bad and unfortunately with the twins the bad comes more than the good. Leave it to them to find a way to nearly ignite the entirety of the forge while making their suits, but it was my fault. I left them close to the furnace with minimal supervision. Almost as bad as the time Snotlout literally did ignite the forge back on the edge while trying to be helpful.

Luckily, Astrid, Eret and Fishlegs had actually taken my instructions to heart and finished their prototype suits before the twins forced an impromptu evacuation and screaming Gobber. I may be chief and have my own space at the forge, but it was still his forge; as far as I was concerned. This, of course, meant that we'd be unable to properly test all our prototypes at the same time, and while waiting for Dagur and my mother to return, I gave everyone time off. Astrid, Heather and I ended up having lunch back at the house while waiting which gave them more time to talk.

"So, Hiccup?" I hear Heather call to me as I'm preparing another batch of food.

"Huh, yeah?" I ask, shuffling some plates and yak meat.

"When did you and Astrid get so serious that you live together?" She asks and I nearly trip as the words enter my ears, stumbling and nearly dropping a plate. This, of course, prompting both girls to laugh. I glance at Astrid who has a beaming smile as she just looks at me. She was encouraging this.

"Uh, uh, why? I mean, we don't officially. Well, we do, sort of. It's not like it's a secret. I mean.." I stumble through my words looking back at the firepit and flipping some yak meat as they laugh together again. Glancing to Astrid, I shake my head. "You know, you're enjoying this a little too much." I state and she shrugs with a smile.

"Eh, maybe." She admits.

"Well, what about you Heather? I saw you hovering over Eret." I retort and get her to blush as I get to laugh this time, even Astrid laughs a little.

"Truthfully, it probably wouldn't be a good idea with Eret, but I won't rule anything out." Heather admits as I finish the food and bring it to the girls at the table.

"Why's that?" Astrid asks, genuinely. They hadn't gotten this far in their private talks it seems.

"I'm on Berserker Island to much, covering for Dagur when he goes to visit Mala. I'm not overly concerned about it though, if a spark happens it happens." Heather answers and we both nod as Astrid grabs a trio of mugs. Filling it with mead and passing it out, I feel both girls eyes on me as Astrid rests her elbows on the table and stares me down.

"Alright, Hiccup. What got you riled yesterday?" Astrid asks practically out of the blue mid-meal, I shrug.

"It's not a big deal." I mutter and Heather sets her mug down.

"I can leave if you want?" Heather asks and I shake my head.

"No, it's not a secret or anything. Krogan just got under my skin and made me drop my guard. He talked about my father's death like it was a fond memory even though he hadn't been there; he joked about it." I state and see their eyes lower. Astrid's drifts to where Stoick's chair sits and nods slowly.

"I know that's still fresh. I wish Dagur and I could've been here on the celebratory feast." Heather admits and I nod.

"Me too. It's okay." I state and Astrid shakes her head.

"Hiccup, it's not okay. Krogan keeps crossing a line; he needs to be dealt with." Astrid says softly and I reach across the table and grab her hand and nod.

It's then we hear the sound of the Triple Strike landing outside and its familiar triple clacks of the tails.

"Brother! Are you here! I see three Dragons out here!" Dagur's voice calls out, referencing Toothless, Stormfly and Windshear who were all eating their own mound of fish.

Getting up, I open the door and let him in. "How was the scouting? Where's my mom?" I ask and he shrugs, walking in.

"She went to the Dragon pens. No ships in the Hysteric Straights. We did a fly by to Berserker Island too just to see if they went that way and nothing." Dagur explains as I lead him to the table and give him a plate. He glances at me, Heather then Astrid and shrugs. "Who knew Hiccup could cook. Learn something every day." He says and starts chowing down.

"So, Dagur, how are things with Mala?" Astrid asks and he pauses and glances at her before looking to Heather.

"Is this what you've been doing? Gossiping? Come now, Sister." He says with a sigh then breaks out into his usual laugh. "We're great! We don't get to spend every moment together like you two lovebirds, but she comes to Berserker Island for about a week, I go to Defenders Island, then I go back for another week and she comes back the following. So, we see each other a lot, but with two islands so far apart and us both leaders, it's impossible for it to be 100% unfortunately." Dagur states and I nearly choke on my drink when he mentions Astrid and I. Dagur clasps Heather's shoulder and merely sighs.

"Alas, it looks like my Berserker Sister hasn't found a suitor of her own yet." He finishes and Astrid and I both glance at each other as a wicked grin creep over us both.

"Well, actually." Astrid begins before Heather hits her shoulder with a scoff. Dagur glances at the girls then to me and I shrug.

"We might've found—" I begin in Astrid's stead and feel the swift kick from underneath the table as she hits my ankle and glares.

"Alright, spill the beans." Dagur states and Heather laughs it off.

"They're just trying to match me with people. I'm fine. No suitor." Heather states and Dagur tilts his head and shrugs, taking another bite.

"Whatever. This is good, Hiccup. I'd wager it's almost as good as Heather's." He adds and we spend the next hour or so laughing across the table. Gobber was going to send for me when the forge was back up and running.

It was good, if not relaxing, to just hang out with these two when it wasn't directly related to dire needs or the like. Dagur spent time describing how he and Mala were co-ruling two tribes, how the Defenders had taken to him and how Mala had grown fond of the Berserkers. There was supposedly a talk of migration, combining the tribes together. Though that talk was in its infancy and was little more than pillow talk as Dagur put it. He continued to bug Astrid and I about our wedding date, to which Heather was all to pleased to help him, much to our own dismay. Soon enough though, a loud thud was heard as Grumpy landed and Gobber's voice called out.

"Hey Chief! It'sa ready to go!" Gobber calls out as I get up and get the door. "Oh, a little party in here, eh?" He asks and I shake my head and laugh.

"Thanks, and no. I'll make sure the twins don't wreck it again." I state and he nods.

"You better! I know yer the chief and all but that's my forge! Okay, I'm off to the Hall." Gobber says and just waves us off as he climbs aboard Grumpy and they take off.

"Alright, let's round the gang back up and finish the mark one prototypes. Dagur, Heather, you're welcome to join and watch. I've got a few tests planned." I state and they both nod as we make our way to our dragons. Splitting up, we round up the gang and meet back at the Forge.

*********************************

It was another couple hours after the Forge was running again that the twins and Snotlout finished their suits. Hiccup was working with Snotlout directly, Fishlegs and I were helping the twins. We continuously had to dissuade them from making any more alterations to their suits while Snotlout was annoyed he was having to make his own.

"Seriously, why are we doing this? You could've done all this in half the time." Snotlout states and I hear Hiccup sigh.

"Because, Snotlout, you guys have to be able to repair them yourselves, and they are unique to your own dragons. Now let's see it." Hiccup states and Snotlout groans but holds up his completed prototype and nods. The twins had finishes right before then as Hiccup grabs his suit. "Alright gang, change into your suits and meet me at the Academy. No breaks, we've got some testing to do." Hiccup orders and, barring a few minor grunts of protests, everyone nods.

Heather and Dagur head up there as Eret, the twins, Fishlegs and Snotlout all fly to their respective houses. Hiccup and I head to ours. It was a work in progress, to mentally call his house our house even with our parents blessing to continue staying together. It honestly gave me butterflies a little every time I said such to myself or heard it out loud.

With our suits in hand as we enter the house, we just strip in the main room and start changing into our suits. I must've not been paying attention, because as the last shred of my clothing leaves me and I'm in nothing but undergarments, I feel Hiccups hand find my hips as he pushes me against the wall and locks lips with me. Pressing his body to mine I completely melt into the kiss, it was payback for earlier in the forge. I didn't even have a chance to catch my breath and as our lips part, I feel my breathing heavy as I bite my lip and smile towards him.

"You know we don't have time; no breaks, remember?" I whisper and he nods. I know he heard me, he acknowledged it but his hands still remain on my hips as he just leaned and slowly started kissing my neck. Lightly closing my eyes, I laugh softly and let loose a slight moan as I feel him gently bite. "Hiccup." I say softly and he pauses, looking at me. "If you don't stop now, I won't let you stop if you keep going." I warn him with an obvious desire in my voice. He just lets out a long sigh and lightly pecks me on the lips.

"Decisions, decisions." He murmurs and I laugh, though my smile fades when I feel the pressure of his body pushing against me lighten as his hands leave my hips. Now standing apart, he looks back at me with a smile. "You almost look disappointed." He teases and I frown.

"Just a bit. You have become a relentless tease, you know that?" I retort and he shrugs.

"Just an appetizer for later. I'm thinking we can visit the Spring at dusk" He states and I feel my lips curl into a light smile as I nod slowly.

"I'm thinking that I like your thinking. Maybe your mother or Fishlegs can show Heather the dragon pens when we're out." I add and he smiles as we both slowly start getting into the dragon scale flight suits.

"I like that idea." He adds a moment later as he finishes suiting up. He comes over to me and helps me finish suiting up with a smile as I glance at him. "What? This suit, it" he pauses, his hands resting on my hips. "It looks really good on you." He finishes and I smile, leaning in and pecking him on the lips.

"Alright, enough teasing for now. Let's go before anyone gets suspicious." I say and he smiles.

"We'll probably beat them anyways." Hiccup retorts and I nod with a laugh as we exit the house, hop on our dragons and fly out to the Academy.

As usual, Hiccup was correct. We did beat everyone except Dagur and Heather; his mother had showed up as well. Eret was closely behind us along with Fishlegs. Snotlout came next and the twins finally arrived a few minutes later. Standing in the center of the Academy with our respective dragons in a circle, Hiccup steps into the circle and pulls out a jar.

"Alright gang, this is our first test." He states, uncapping it and pouring the now visible Monstrous Nightmare Gel onto the ground. He looks to Toothless and gives the dragon a nod and he shoots a light plasma blast which ignites it into a rather large flame-like wall. "We are going to walk, and I mean this, walk through fire." Hiccup finishes. There are immediate sounds of protest followed by maniacal laughing from the twins.

"It seems good Chief Hiccup has finally joined us in our worship to Loki. Either that, or he has finally joined us in our love of fire, death, and blood. Either way…" Tuffnut explains before bashing his head with Ruffnut.

"Good for us!" Ruffnut finishes as Hiccup sighs and I just watch.

"Alright, guys. It's serious. Watch me." Hiccup begins and centers himself on the long side of the fire, after putting on his helmet, and steps into it. His hue in the dark scaled suit vanishing in the flames before reappearing on the other side.

"Bravo, Bravo good sir!" Tuffnut states

"We demand an encore! For Science!" Ruffnut adds as Snotlout runs up to the fire.

"Pfft, big deal. It's just walking through fire. I walked across lava. Piece of cake." Snotlout states as Hiccup smiles and waves his hand.

"Show us." He says and I smile. I can see the apprehension form on Snotlout's face as he takes in a deep breath and walks in. No sooner than he walked in do we hear him start to scream.

"Oh! Ow! Ow! Fire! Hot! What!" He exclaims as he reemerges with several burn marks around his knees, his elbows and varying other places. Hiccup's hand meets his forehead as he sighs.

"Snotlout, did you follow my plans? I had outlined how to fireproof everything." He asks and Snotlout scowls.

"Yes! Of course! If it wasn't for the twins almost blowing up the forge, maybe I wouldn't have been distracted." He states and the twins laugh as he looks at them. "Alright, muttonheads. You go." Snotlout states and they both grin.

"With pleasure, Brother Snot! Watch, and behold, the magnificence of science!" Tuff exclaims as the two approach the fire together.

"This will truly be a day to remember, Brother Nut." Ruffnut says as she dons a helmet.

"Spoken well, indeed! Sister Nut!" Tuff answers as they enter the flames. They vanish in the fire for a few seconds and I can see Hiccup almost want to go push them out before they jump out at Snotlout, Ruff on Tuff's shoulders and them both smoldering. Snotlout jumps back in an angry scream as the twins laugh.

"Loki'd!" They say together.

"Oh, come on. It's not even Loki Day." Snotlout retorts as Ruffnut approaches him with her finger to his chest.

"Every day is Loki Day." She says simply and the two walk back to their place.

Eret moves through next with no issues at all, even takes a moment to pose in success as Fishlegs follows with also no issues. I end the trip and walk through. It was weird, I could feel the fire around me but the dragon scales seemed to diminish the heat inside the suit; I wasn't even sweating. The Deathsong Amber was holding up nicely as well and I could see clearly as I walked through. Exiting the other side, I almost walking into Hiccup who took my hand and smiled.

"Alright, everyone but Snotlout passes the first test. We have to finish dragon proofing your suit and not forget anything." Hiccup states and Snotlout just shrugs and crosses him arms.

"Okay, gang. The next test—" Hiccup begins before being interrupted by Sven running in.

"Chief! The pirate friend, er, Vern. He's awake!" Sven says and Hiccup glances to Eret and nods.

"Alright gang, break. Eret, let's go talk to your friend!" He says and Eret nods with a smile. Hiccup turns to me and gives me the 'come on' nod, inviting me to go with him. "Dagur, Heather, you too. I don't want to crowd him, so that'll be it. Everyone else, take a breather. Snotlout, go work on your suit. I'll brief you all when we get back." Hiccup finishes and there is a collective acknowledgement and a couple groans as the group breaks up. It was time to go talk to Vern.


	30. Dastardly Plan

We arrived at Gothi's tall hut to see Vern sitting down on the balcony of it with Gothi applying some sort of herb to his back. Based on what my eyes see alone, he was making a tremendous recovery that pleased everyone as we got closer. Eret made his way over to his friend and they greeted each other with a forearm handshake and nod.

"Thank you for getting me out of there, that Masked Man is an evil man akin to Drago." Vern states and Eret nods, glancing to Hiccup and I as we approach.

"Vern, this is Chief Hiccup Haddock the Third of the Hooligan Tribe. You're on Berk and you're safe." Eret explains as Vern stands. The man is easily the size of Eret of not a little larger even having to lean forward to take stress off his back. He stood a foot taller than Hiccup but he acted much like Eret did after he joined our tribe.

"Chief Haddock, thank you for the rescue. Eret's told me enough about you and what you've done for him to have my respect. Your healer is one of the best I've ever seen, though she doesn't talk much." Vern says as he approaches Hiccup, glancing back at Gothi as Hiccup laughs lightly.

"Yeah, well, she doesn't say much at all to be honest. We're glad your okay. Introductions." Hiccup pauses and glances to me. "Astrid Hofferson, Berk's General. Behind me is the Chief of the Berserker Tribe, Dagur and his sister, Heather. One of our strongest allies." Hiccup explains and, for some reason that I can hardly fathom, I actually felt my heart sink a little bit. Like I wanted to be introduced as his Chiefess, even if we weren't married. It was a weird feeling to have.

"Verner, son of Jayce of the eastern mainlands, please call me Vern. A pleasure to meet you all, wish it could've been under better circumstances." Vern states. He had the voice of a mercenary, not a sailor.

"Vern, what happened?" Hiccup asks as Vern sits back down and Gothi resumes her application. We all give him space but stay close enough to listen.

"Khan, the one who I ended up working the most for, apparently sent word for an old acquaintance who had been lying low since Drago. Days later, a man in a cloak and mask showed up. His entire right arm was scarred from a burn of some form and he carried a large axe. He was soft spoken, even kind sounding at first." Vern explains slowly and I frown, my hand finding Hiccups as he glances to me and nods.

"He told us what an excellent job all of us were doing, and how he was going to help us. He had changes, new ideas that some of the boys didn't like. One of them spoke out about it and the guy literally killed him on the spot. Didn't even act like it was a thing, just asked if we had more questions and moved on. It was surreal; I'm no stranger to death but that was just cruel." Vern continued and I saw him wince with something Gothi did.

"He is a cruel man. His name is Krogan and he was one of Drago's top men. We thought Drago had him killed." Hiccup states. "He mentioned a scar, maybe a dragon trap." Hiccup guesses and Vern nods.

"Trap or no, Drago failed. I started poking around like normal; Khan wouldn't have even noticed but Krogan caught on far to quick. When he caught me writing a mail, he had me bound and interrogated me. Asking me what I knew about you, your raids, any other turncoats. Fortunately, I didn't know anything cause honestly, I would've broke. He nearly carved out my eye." Vern says as his finger traces the wound over his eye. Sighing, he shakes his head. "He had me tied to the main mast and lashed 39 times, then left me there. He only moved me to the top of the mast the morning you showed up and saved me. I think he was expecting it." Vern adds and Hiccup nods.

"Well, you're safe now, and able to move and fight soon." Eret adds with a smile and Vern just sighs, shaking his head and relaxing his shoulder.

"No, Eret. I'm out. I'm not going through that again, I'll tell you what I know, but that's all I can do." He states, looking to Eret and Eret's shoulders drop as he nods somberly.

"I understand, my friend. You've done more than I asked and endured more than anyone should have too." Eret responds.

Looking to Hiccup and I, Vern nods his head. "Chief Haddock, I'd appreciate passage back to the eastern mainlands if you have a trader that travels that route." He asks and I glances to Hiccup and he smiles, nodding.

"We do, they won't be here for at least a week though. You can stay as our guest until then, I'm sure Gothi won't mind." Hiccup states and Gothi glances at him from over the mans shoulder and shrugs. "But, you will tell us what you know?" Hiccup asks and Vern nods.

"They're weaponizing dragons en masse to wipe out Berk. Apparently, since Drago's defeat, you've been the talk of the Archipelago. It's either people want to befriend you or kill you; as a people. Drago held the massive force together with fear and now that it's the three, they're having a harder time because they tried splitting it up equally which is a logistical nightmare for them." Vern explains and I feel my gut drop. "They don't have an answer for your Night Fury yet, but that is one of the reasons they are seeking exotic and rare species like the Doomfang. They have trapping operations scattered about the archipelago and beyond. Since Krogan, as you call him, showed up; they've been supplied with all manner of trapping methods like Dragon Root Arrows or cages." Vern continues and I tighten my grip on Hiccups hands. It was like Viggo and the Hunters all over again.

"What do you know about their next move?" Hiccup asks

"I know they aren't giving up on the Doomfang, and that they are supposedly tracking down some massive white dragon. The plan is overwhelming force, but they aren't ready yet. Not with the Dragon horde that lives hear ready to defend it." Vern states and I feel my breath release.

"Are they targeting any of our allies?" Hiccup asks and I glance back to Heather and Dagur who so far have just been listening.

"He's sniffing out turncoats in their ranks. They don't consider the Outcasts nor the Defenders a threat. The Wingmaidens and The Beserkers have been whispered about, largely because of the dragon use." Vern states and glances to Dagur. "I'd recommend shoring up your defenses, Chief." He says and Dagur frowns, narrowing his eyes. Sometimes Dagur scared me when he did that, because I remember all too well when he was an enemy.

"Oh, we will." Dagur says softly and looks to Hiccup. "I'm flying back tonight and sending a mail to Mala. I suggest you get in touch with the Wingmaidens as well. Heather?" Dagur finishes glancing at Heather.

"Dagur I-" Heather pauses and glances at Hiccup and I. Dagur places a hand on her shoulder and nods.

"I'll send a mail here if we need help. If you don't hear from me either by Terror mail or in person in three days, then something's wrong." Dagur finishes and he and Hiccup exchange a forearm shake.

"Got it. Be safe." Hiccup says and he nods.

"You too, brother." He answers and turns before looking back over his shoulder. "Watch over my sister." He adds before heading down. The rest of us turning to Vern.

"Anything else you know?" Hiccup asks and Vern shakes his head.

"Not of any consequence." Vern answers and we all thank him. Before leaving him and Eret, he calls back to us. "Hey, Chief Haddock. When you catch this Krogan, give him one for me." He states and Hiccup nods.

"This time I plan to see to it personally." Hiccup says and Heather and I both exchange a glance. He sounded like the old Dagur in that moment, like Viggo or even Krogan. It made Vern smile, it worried both of us. More to talk about privately, later. I'd make him open up.

*********************************

Rounding up the rest of the riders after hearing Vern's information was easy but the day of testing the suits was over. After relaying all the information we had heard, I left the floor open to discussion about what our next move was. Astrid stayed close by my side, her hand not leaving mind since arriving; something was bothering her.

"Alright, so, let me get this right. We know Krogan's back, and you, and more importantly all of us, are on his kill list?" Snotlout asks as I nod. "Okay, so, what're we doing about that."

"Look, they won't attack with our personal Dragon Horde here. We have hundreds of Dragons on Berk that are all ready to defend their home. Dagur returned to Berserker Island to shore it up, and I'm sending a T-Mail to both the Outcasts and the Wingmaidens tonight." Hiccup states.

"So what, we just wait?" Tuff asks

"Waiting blows." Ruff adds

"No, we're not waiting. We know they are still after the Doomfang and I'm pretty sure they are after the Screaming Death as well. Vern mentioned a large white dragon. If they can harness that, we're in for a lot of hurt." I state and turn towards Astrid.

"Astrid, we're going to need the Aux riders to start expanding their ranks with our more experienced flyers." I state and she shifts but nods. I can't tell why she's uncomfortable, but our hands are still together and when I try to release them, her grip tightens. It's something else.

"Got it. I'll talk to Gustav." She states softly and Heather walks closer to us.

"Let me handle them. I can be just as tough as Astrid on them." Heather states and I nod. I think Heather was trying to give us time together, she saw her unease also.

"Okay. Fishlegs, comb through the Book of Dragons on any exotic and powerful species. I almost wish we'd kept the Dragon's Eye, but I'm rather glad we destroyed them. One less thing to worry about." I state.

"Got it, Hiccup. I'll come back with more tomorrow." Fishlegs states and I smile, nodding.

"What about us?" Ruff and Tuff ask almost in unison.

"We know that they are still after the Doomfang. So, you two and Snotlout will be making daily flybys of Hysteria with my mother and Eret. Starting tomorrow." I state and the twins laugh as Snotlout frowns.

"Again sticking me with them." He exclaims.

"Fine, Snotlout. You fly with my mom. The twins fly with Eret." I answer with a sigh and he smiles.

"I can deal with that. Alright" Snotlout states, turning to leave as I flag him down.

"Woah, woah, woah. Did you ever finish your suit?" I ask and he waves me off with a shrug.

"Yes, Chieftain. I fixed it all. It's perfect. Better than yours." He says, jumping on Hookfang and taking off. I glance to Astrid and smile, but her eyes are distant as she looks at me. I'm genuinely worried now.

"Alright gang, break." I state and everyone else tears off. Before too long, it's just us in the Academy and I turn to Astrid and take both of her hands in mine and lean in, kissing her gently on the lips. "Hey, what's wrong?" I ask softly and she sighs.

"Hiccup. What did you mean earlier?" She asks softly, looking up at me.

"What do you mean? When?" I ask, my eyes searching hers.

"When you said 'This time I plan to see to it personally.' Regarding Krogan." She asks and I sigh, closing my eyes.

"I meant that; this time, I wouldn't leave it to the gods to decide. This time, we take him down, we capture him and imprison him and throw away the key. And if need be we…" I pause and shake me head, I feel my body shiver. "If need be we kill him." I say softly and open my eyes. I can see the glisten of a tear on hers as I reach up and wipe it.

"That's a road I don't want to see you walk, Hiccup." She says softly. "You sounded like Krogan, like Viggo. When you said it to Vern. I heard the anger in your voice, and it worries me." She admits and I shake my head, leaning in and gently kissing her. I feel her press her lips to mine before pulling back and resting our foreheads together.

"Astrid; I'm not them. We're not them. I don't want to kill him; I want peace. And if you don't want me to see him killed; then I won't. We'll find another way, together, like we always do." I say softly and I see her solemn face turn into a light smile as she nods.

"Together, like always." She answers with a whisper and presses her lips to mine. Breaking for a moment, she releases a long sigh and wraps her arms around me in a tight embrace, resting her forehead to mine as we slowly sway. "Thank you, Hiccup." She says softly with her eyes closed.

"For what" I ask, my arms wrapping around her waist as we sway.

"Being you, and no one else. I want you to know, no matter what happens, no matter what route we travel with Krogan." She begins and I lightly peck her lips.

"It'll be together." We say almost in unison, prompting us both to laugh lightly.

"I needed to hear that." She whispers and I smile.

"I didn't mean to scare you, Astrid, or imply I'd do anything to drive you away. I don't know how my father did it, but I can't imagine a world without you in it. I can't imagine not having you by my side." I state and she smiles.

"You'll never need to. I'm here to stay, and I'll admit, I'll send Krogan or anyone else to the underworld myself if they tried to change that." Astrid answers with a strong, yet soft voice. "I just don't want that to be our plan." She finishes and I nod.

"We never go for the kill." I state and she smiles. Like Dragon Training back when we were kids, how Gobber explained the dragons always went for the kill but in truth, never went for the kill unless they had too. It was the same for us; we'd never go for the kill unless it was us or them.

The sun is nearing the sea as dusk is almost upon us, I feel Astrid's grip around my neck tighten as she takes a deep breath. "Still want to spend some time at the Spring?" She asks and as I look at her face, I can see a smile hiding a very light bite of her lip. Seeing her look at me like that made me want to melt in her arms and do whatever she wanted. Maybe she knew it was the case. Leaning in, I peck her light on the lips and tighten my own grip around her waist, pressing our hips together in our sway.

"Yes." I answer simply and she smiles. "I want to go now." I begin, lightly pecking her lips. "I want to strip you of your cloths." I add, kissing down her neck as she gasps and closes her eyes. "And I want to see how many traditions we can break in one night." I finish, biting her neck gently before kissing my way back up to her lips. My tongue finds hers and we leave the world behind as our tongues dance and our lips lock; drinking in each other's presence so much so we are left in a light pant when we finally break. Both our faces flushed red and her eyes staring into mine with that smile.

"I think we should get going, I'm eager to see how many we can break…" She pauses and leans in, biting my ear softly before adding. "Plus, I'd like to not have to be quiet." She adds and I smile. I loved hearing her sounds of pleasure.

"Let's go." I whisper and she smiles. Hopping on Toothless and Stormfly, we head back to the house and gather our stuff. We leave in our rider suits but have blankets, start sticks and the like as we take off again. The dragons would be nearby this time, but they'd be fine. I think we both needed this.


	31. Longing Respite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

The sun was touching the horizon as we arrived at the secluded spring where I first found Toothless. Astrid flying besides me as we start descending, I pat Toothless's neck and lock his tail. "Okay, Toothless, go for the landing without me." I whisper with a smile and he glances back at me with a soft growl of confusion. Glancing at Astrid, I grin. "Race you down!" I shout and dive from Toothless's back into the deeper part of the spring.

Spear heading straight into the water, the clear and clean water was warm enough that it felt great as I became fully submerged. Doing a tight u in the water, I head towards the surface, the dragon scale flight proving to be water resistant as I had hoped. When I surface, I see both Toothless and Stormfly on the bank and no Astrid. Furrowing my brow, I look around and suddenly feel a tight grip around my ankle as I'm dragged back down.

Astrid now eye level with me under the water with a smile on her face at my surprise, I pull her in and lock lips with her for a moment. Though short on breath, feeling her lips under the water had its own feel to it as we both broke and surfaced together. Letting out a laugh and catching our breathe, we make our way slowly to the bank.

"Figured I'd surprise you." She says sweetly as we arrive at the bank and stand, I just shrug and smile.

"It was a welcome one. And it had me thinking." I state, pausing as she glances at me.

"Thinking what?" She asks as we reach the dragons.

"That we should shed these suits and jump back in together." I say, pulling her closely and kissing her. She lets loose a small moan against my lips and smiles as she nods in agreement.

"Eager?" She whispers against my lips and I smile.

"To forget the troubles of the day and share a respite with you?" I ask softly, our noses brushing against each other's. "Even if but for a night, yes. I am eager, Astrid. Spending time with you is important to me." I add and she presses her lips to mine.

"It's important to me, too." She whispers back and after unloading the dragons, we set up a blanket on the bank and light a small fire. Shedding our suits together with the sun light still filtering down, we stand bare before each other and I nod to the spring.

"The water?" I ask, taking her hand as she smiles and nods. Together we walk back into the water and soon find ourselves in each other's embrace, floating mostly submerged as our lips lock and our tongues dance. Our feet swaying in the water, brushing together as they keep as afloat before we finally part lips. Slowly, we start to rotate in the water together, our bodies pressed together as my arms wrap around her hips and hers around my shoulders.

Closing my eyes as I rest my head on her shoulder as she does with mine, I lightly kiss her neck before taking in a long breathe. The warmth from her body, her smell, even in the clear spring water, was intoxicating. I felt her lightly bite my own neck before kissing it softly and resting her chin against my shoulder, we just rotate slowly in the water, holding each other. It was as important for us as riding was, as training, chiefing.

"Hiccup." She says softly as I glide my fingers up and down her spine, feeling one of her legs lock with mine. "These are the moments." She whispers against my neck as I smile softly, my eyes still lightly closed.

"This is why I do what I do." I begin. "To feel you in my arms, your body moving with mine. I will fly through Thor's Wrath and Loki's Tricks; I will endure Odin's challenges and travel across Njord's realm in the sea. All of it, any of it, just to be able to hold you like this." I finish. It was one thing among our culture to take the gods names in vain or frustration; it was another thing entirely to swear to them your love for another.

"As would I, Hiccup." Astrid answers me and I feel her nuzzle into my neck. "I would endure their wrath, their fury, their challenges and tricks. I would weather a war and risk Hel herself for you. I would let no viking, mercenary, trapper or hunter, no traitor nor ally threaten what we have and what we will have together." Astrid finishes and I smile.

"Fighting for our people gives me strength, fighting for the dragons gives me courage, fighting for you gives me purpose." I say, pulling back and pressing my lips to hers. I feel her press back as her legs entwine with mine under the water. We slowly begin to dip deeper in the water until only our heads are above it as we finally pull away from our kiss. Both of us short on breath with a light pant, our faces flushed red and our eyes locked. I see her bite her lower lip as her hips grind against mine and my member stiffens under the water.

"Hiccup." She whispers before leaning in, pecking me lightly on the lips and pulling back again. "I want you, now." She finishes, almost like a demand but her smile and the look in her eyes is unquestionable.

"Let's move to the blanket." I whisper and she nods, and we drift to the blanket and climb out from the spring. On our knees, I grab your waist and pull her close to me, sliding my member in between her thighs as our lips lock again and our tongues dance. My hands find her waist and trace down her back, slowly caressing her rear as her hands trace up my back. I feel her grind her hips to mine and can already feel her warmth down below. I pull my hips back enough so that the tip slides against her area and I hear a light moan slip her lips.

"For the love of Thor, you are horrible." She groans as her hips grind against me. I'm purposefully not letting my member slide inside her yet and she knows it. Maybe I had become a tease, but so did she. And teasing each other like this was almost as enjoyable as tasting her or feeling her around my member.

"Problems, milady?" I playfully ask against her lips as I bite her lower lip then kiss her again. She opens her eyes and gazes at me, shaking her head with a smile.

"There's about to be." She retorts and I smile, my hands hooking around her back as I lay her down on the blanket, my knees hooking hers and spreading her thighs, so she lay bare and open before me. I saw her face flush red. "Hiccup, don't… stare." She mutters, covering her eyes as I smile, leaning down and lightly kissing her breasts.

"You are beautiful; it is impossible not to stare." I whisper as I then wrap one of her nipples with my lips, my tongue tracing it as I hear her gasp. Sliding my hand down her abdomen, I begin to slowly massage and caress her area with my fingers while my lips work either of her breasts. Giving each of her nipples as close to equal time as I can, I slip one finger inside of her and hear her release a shuddered moan as she grips the blanket. I loved making her feel this way, making her explode before I had even let my member enter, watching her hips shake and grind as I slide a finger in and out, my thumb massaging her outside as I slip a second finger in. Still working each breast, her gasps and light moans turn to full and long drawn sounds of pleasure that only serve to excite me more. I feel the heat from between her legs explode as I slow down, gently sliding my fingers out I release her nipples and sit back on my heels, looking at her as her hips shake softly.

Bringing my finger to my lips as she opens her eyes, I lick them and smile. "Tastes good." I tease and her face flushes even redder as I lean back down and kiss her, running my finger up her body, around her nipples and finally to her lips. She doesn't protest and lets one slide into her mouth; I feel her tongue trace my finger before I pull it back out and kiss her again.

Her tongue dances with mine as I drink in her presence and feel my stiff member throbbing, I wanted to feel her around me, feel her hips grinding against mine. She must've read my mind as she breaks the kiss and smiles. "Sit back." She whispers and I do as commanded, sitting back she climbs on my lap and presses her area against my member as her legs wrap around my waist giving me something to lean against. "I want to explore everything with you." She whispers and I smile. I was quite possibly the luckiest man alive.

*********************************

Hiccup had made me explode again without even trying to slide his own member in. The magic he could work with his fingers and his tongue alone was enough to send shivers down my spine just thinking about it, let alone feeling it. Feeling his stiff, throbbing member pressing against me as I slowly rock my hips against his while he sits back was new. I could see the longing in his eyes, I could feel it in his member. He wanted to feel his member penetrate me, feel me tighten around him as we grind and rock our hips together. Luckily for us both, I wanted it too and slowly during my rocking, I tilted my hip so that his member slid inside.

Within a moment, I went from being empty to being filled by Hiccup's member, pressing down as hard as I could so he was as deep as he could be while letting out a long moan. I heard him moan too and hearing it just made me feel warmer, more flushed, and hotter. Like hearing him like that made me even more passionate.

"As-Astrid." He moans as I slowly start rocking my hips, I feel him move his up and down as he leans in. I feel his lips wrap around my nipples again. I don't hold it back and let myself moan and my legs shake as I feel every inch of him moving around within me, the feeling was intoxicating, mesmerizing, like I could get lost in the sensation of it. Of him. His lips trace up and meet mine.

While we moved, his body with mine, the sweat and heat. It could've been freezing that night, and it may very well be, but neither of us can tell. A bubble of heat and passion surrounds us by the little fire as I start rocking my hips faster and faster. I can feel the pressure building up inside me again as I don't hold my voice back like I do in the village.

"Hiccup. Hi-Hiccup! Mm, Ahh… mmmughm." Not sure if what my voice is saying makes sense to him, but I can barely think straight as it builds higher and higher.

"Astrid.. I'm going.. I'm about too.." He moans against my lips and I honestly wanted to break this tradition too and let him explode within me. I wanted to feel him release and fill me, but I knew we couldn't. He knew we couldn't as I feel his hips slow down and I smile.

Gently sliding off him, I can see his throbbing member as I slide my knees back as he remains sitting up. Now laying between his legs, I glance up and him and smile before wrapping my lips around his warm and slick member. My fingers wrapping around the base as my tongue lathers and plays with the tip I move my hand and let him explode. His moans enough pleasure to me as he releases within my mouth, swallowing it until he finally stops, I sit back up and reach for the water skin and smile. Looking down at his member as it remains stiff, I bite my lip.

"Hiccup…" I whisper as he just looks at me. Setting down the waterskin, I turn my back to him and roll onto my stomach and knees, letting him see my full bare rear as I spread my legs lightly. I had never been so exposed as I am now and honestly, in front of Hiccup, it enticed me. "Think you can from this angle?" I ask teasingly, looking back at him as a smile curls across his lips and he moves forward onto his knees. I feel his hands grip my waist as his member slides between my thighs again. He leans down on top of me and I feel his breath against my neck.

"Ready?" He whispers softly and I moan in anticipation as I feel his member slowly slide back inside me again, still stiff and pulsing within me as I know my heat has coated it. I press my hips back as he presses his forward and back, a new experience and position.

We were so used to grinding back and forth, rocking our hips. We had never done it this way, never have I felt Hiccup's hands on my hips from behind as his member nearly completely exited me before thrusting back in. Each thrust elicited a moan from me and soon our hips were working together. As he pulled out, I push back as he thrusted forward, feeling every inch of him fill me up and exit with each push. It made my legs weak as he increased his speed and my hands gripped the blanket tighter.

I felt myself about to explode as he didn't slow his pace, as though after the first time he could go longer, and it made me happier to feel him in and our over and over. I finally couldn't take it and pressed back hard as I felt my hips spasm and released a long groan of a moan while my eyes rolled back. He didn't stop and that just made me feel even better, like my area was more sensitive afterwards that I swear I think I exploded again but couldn't tell because of the pure sensational feel to it all. His grunts and moans were making me weak. Even though my legs were weak I still tried pressing back against him as his own thrusts increased.

"Astrid!" He exclaims as he keeps going, I couldn't answer amid my own moans and gasps. I'm not even sure when he fully pulled out, but I remember the feel of his heated seed layering my rear and lower back as he sits back. My hips still spasming in the air as I lean my face into the blanket. When I can finally think again, I glance back at him and see him just staring at me. Scoffing I reach over and grab a small towel.

"Clean me up." I command and he smiles, catching the towel as I throw it at him. He gets back on his knees and locks his knees with mine. Pressing his hips and member against my bare rear as I feel the towel glide across my back. Tossing it to the side, he leans down and wraps his arms around my waist before rolling onto his side, bringing me with him in his embrace. I can still feel his member pressed against me as we're both now facing the small fire.

"That was new." Hiccup whispers behind me and I smile as my hands find his.

"I said I wanted to explore everything with you. And I mean it. Nothing you do with me is wrong, traditions be damned." I answer and I feel his grip tighten around me.

"I'll admit, as good as that position felt, it lacked one thing." Hiccup whispers and I turn my head to try to look at him.

"What's that?" I ask as I trace his forearm with my fingertips.

"I couldn't see your face." He answers simply and I smile. Romantic, even when we are literally spiting traditions, the gods and whatever else, he still finds time to make sweet statements like that. Rolling over so I can look at him, I slide my arms around his neck.

"Now you can." I whisper with a smile and can tell he is truly, genuinely happy. "And I hope my face tells you that you are amazing." I add and he leans in, kissing me.

"What in Thor's name did I do to deserve you?" Hiccup asks and I shrug with a grin.

"You were just you. It wasn't any one thing, Hiccup. No one thing made me love you, no one thing will ever make me doubt or regret you. You forge your own path, you always have. I consider myself the fortunate one." I answer and he shakes his head with a smile.

"If I ever thought something was destined, it was this. I love you, Astrid Hofferson-Haddock" Hiccup says, adding the last line as a means to tease me. I was not a Haddock yet, officially, but as far as we were concerned, I was, and I was happy about that.

"And by Frigga's word, I love you, Hiccup Haddock." I answer and our lips meet again. We would spend the better part of the night laying naked in each other's embrace like this, happily. It was these moments of respite that made the challenges of the world bearable. It was being able to soar above the clouds with him that made life's mysteries unlockable.


	32. Applied Intelligence

Through applied reconnaissance and dedication, we were able to actually track down their ships in the Hysteric waters. They were moving under the cover of darkness and staying relatively close to the sea stacks in the day to avoid being seen by our routine flybys. It wasn't until Heather suggested we go on a night run that we started getting lucky. Flying with Heather again on reconnaissance was like old times back at the Edge, I'll be honest it was good having another girl around that wasn't Ruffnut or Hiccup's mom. Valka was awesome, and I have a great respect for her, but she is also his mother which means conversations get awkward quick. Of course, flying with just us meant that conversations could get awkward quickly as well, in different ways.

"So, Astrid! How long?" Heather calls out from Windshears' back as I glance to her with a raised eyebrow. Laughing, she nods her head with a smile. "You know, have you and Hiccup been that serious."

"Didn't we have this discussion over dinner!?" I call back and just hear her laugh.

"Totally not what I meant! The others might not notice you guys sneaking off, but I'm not them. Where'd you guys go last night for the whole night?" Heather retorts and I feel my face flush. We'd had our boy talks, and our family's sort of had an idea but we've never actually talked about it with anyone else.

"We, uh, we were at the spring." I admit, no sense lying to her honestly. "A few weeks." I answer her other question and see her stifle a laugh.

"So, you know the obvious next question, right?" Heather asks and I shake my head with a shrug.

"Contrary to popular belief, Heather, I don't have a lot of close friends on the island I talk to about this sort of thing. And I'm not sure I should even be talking about it." I explain and she shrugs.

"Fair point. I won't make it any worse than it needs to be. I'm going to assume its, you know, consensual and you actually want it. I've known people who've done bad things." She states, her voice trailing off as I fly closer and nod.

"You know Hiccup. I practically initiated it and I enjoy every second of it. He's so worried about doing something to anger me even though I'm not sure he ever has. Like he thinks one day I'll wake up and not want him anymore; which is never going to be the case." I state and she glances at me with a knowing smile.

"Never?" She confirms and I nod.

"Never. I actually think it's cute in its own way." I admit and she laughs.

"You two are a perfect couple, I said so years ago back on the Edge. I'm surprised you waited so long to make it official, to be honest." Heather says and shrugs before adding. "I'm honestly surprised you two didn't cross that line at the Edge, no adults or anything to worry about."

"Yeah, no. We actually talked about that briefly. We were talking about it a little but then the whole Krogan incident happened and Johann. Now we're not letting those things stand between us, and we've grown. We can separate during missions, even if it hurts." I answer, my hand gliding up my chest and gripping the carved Nadder emblem Hiccup had given me. Heather nods and quickly points out ahead.

"We're here! More talk later, I mean that; you aren't getting off that easy with me." Heather says and I shrug and smile. Following where her finger is pointing, I see a trio of large sails cresting around a sea stack with a large net between them. They're scoping out the Doomfang.

"Alright, the other riders should be ready since we've been taking shifts. Let's do a closer flyby staying out of eyeshot for more information and head back and rally the others." I state and she nods, taking my wing as we start our circle.

It looked like they were trying to net, without success, the Doomfang. No signs of Krogan or Khan on deck, just a lot of trappers armed with bows and a few arrow installations on the decks. Just like the Hunters; Krogan had given these trappers more knowledge. After our second flyby and no changes, we headed back to the Academy to rally everyone and let them know. Hiccup was already there with Toothless, waiting for us it seemed.

"Astrid. Heather." Hiccup says with a smile, greeting us and hugging me briefly as he nods to Heather.

"We found them. They don't have the Doomfang yet. No signs of Krogan or Khan." I say and Hiccup nods.

"Okay, let's go rally everyone else and send those boats to the bottom of the sea. Meet back here." He states and we all nod and break off. It doesn't take us long to rally everyone as Hiccup had us all on near standby; even the Aux riders were there at the Academy as the moon began reaching its high point in the sky.

"Alright, Riders. Listen closely; we are going to send these trappers a message. Their trade is not a welcome trade and so long as they are within range, we will not allow it. We can't guard the world's dragons, but we can protect those in and around the Archipelago." Hiccup states and I have grown fond of listening to his passionate pleas.

"Snotlout, Twins. You two will take the first boat. Dagur and my mother will take the second. Eret and Fishlegs take the third. Destroy their emplacements and disorient those on deck. Astrid and Heather, you are our fastest and will go in first, drawing their first salvo. You'll then circle and help pick off archers from all boats and watch for any signs of Krogan or Khan specifically. I'm going to take Toothless into the water and attack them from underneath." Hiccup explains as everyone steps near their assigned partners. Snotlout groans again at being stuck with the twins but doesn't contest it. Turning towards the Aux Riders, Hiccup nods.

"The Auxiliary Team will be on patrol mode over Berk and its surrounding waters. If you don't hear from us within three hours, Spitelout, Gustav, Bucket and Mulch, you will fly out and reinforce us. Sven, you'll take over Berk's perimeter with Magnus and Agnar. That is only if you don't hear from us." Hiccup states, looking to them for acknowledgement.

"You got it, Chief. Gustav got it under control." Gustav says and the others nod.

"Alright, this isn't like the edge. There is more at stake now than ever before. Watch each other's backs, watch your own and your dragons. Don't take any undue risks and no one plays the hero. We work as a team, like we always have. It's why we've beaten them before, and it is how we'll beat them now." Hiccup finishes and I smile softly listening to him, he had a way with words that rallied those around him. Even if our eyes met for a lingering second when he mentioned the stakes. "We're up in five." Hiccup finishes and everyone moves to their dragons as I let loose a breath I didn't know I was holding. Heather walks up next to me and places her hand on my shoulder.

"Go talk to him, he said that for us, but he could probably hear it from you." She says softly and I nod. I was planning on it anyways, but it was still good having her here. Moving towards Hiccup as everyone is distracted with their own dragons, even him, I slip my hand in his from behind as he turns to look at me, I place a soft kiss on his lips which he reciprocates.

"You've got a way with words." I say softly and he nods.

"Trying to keep them in positive spirits, this is going to be dangerous." Hiccup answers and I nod, placing my hand on his cheek as my other hand grips his.

"I know, and like you said, we'll beat it together, as a team. Another dragon saved, another evil plot foiled, another…" I pause and lean in, whispering. "Reason to celebrate when we get home." I say and he laughs lightly and nods.

"You're right. We've got this." He answers, pressing his lips to mine in a strong kiss I wish I could melt in before we part. Pulling away to go back to Stormfly, I feel his grip with my hand tighten as I look back to him. "Be careful." He whispers and I smile, nodding.

"I will. You too." I add and he just squeezes my hand and smiles. We'd win this time; Hiccup's plans were grand in scope and Krogan was no Viggo in strategy. He even looked more confident than before, which gave me confidence; I think it gave us all confidence.

*********************************

We were going to win this time. We were going to send those three ships to the bottom of the ocean and let the trappers try and escape on dinghies or let the sea own their sins. The thought of seeing Krogan out here while we sink his ships, the thought of letting the sea take him once and for all, it was appealing to say the least. Trappers like this would probably always be a problem. So long as there were humans there would those who cared not for honor and cared only for material worth. And so long as they were here, we would be here to stop them.

Astrid and Heather flew ahead of the group and soon we had the ships in sight; still no Doomfang, thank Thor. The two swift sharp class dragons dove in and unleashed a volley of spines and blasts before spiraling away, attracting a large volley of arrows and catapults there way with the screams and cries of men on deck. Next wave went in with everyone taking their target. These ships were not reinforced to be dragon proof, thankfully. Either that wasn't done yet or it was a secret that died; hopefully the ladder.

While they begun their assaults, Toothless and I dove towards the water, giving me just enough time to cover my eyes with the Deathsong Amber Goggles as we fully submerged. Using his powerful wings, he scooped the water while kicking through it. By no means was Toothless a tidal dragon, but we had practiced attack runs from under the water. Toothless, fortunately, fired plasma ball-like bolts that were able to move through the water with relative ease where other dragons' flames would be snuffed out.

No sign of the Doomfang under the water yet, hopefully it got spooked the last time it was nearly captured and went in hiding. No time to worry about that now, I honestly didn't want to encounter it again. Turning Toothless back towards the surface, we could see the Keel Hull of the three ships, and I grinned. Patting Toothless as he swam, he unleashed a volley on the first ship from below it, each of his strikes landing true and once the bubbles cleared, I could see large holes and gaps in the ship's hull as water flooded in. Spiraling upwards we left the water as the first ship begun sinking and various trappers begun diving into the water.

"Snotlout, you help Dagur and my Mother. Twins, help Eret and Fishlegs. Move!" I shout out as my eyes trace the other ships. Still no sign of Krogan or Khan, and I could see Astrid and Heather circling above. All's going well so far, I nod. Diving Toothless back down I repeat the attack on the other two boats and before long all three had been sunk. None of them had dragons on them this time, their hulls were emptied of everything except supplies and extra space to hold the Doomfang.

As I resurfaced the last time, I saw four dinghies with about three to five trappers per slowly sailing north. Cupping my hands to my lips, I imitate a loud dragon call that gets all the riders attention and we land on a neighboring sea stack.

"Great job, everyone. That went really well, any sign of Krogan?" I ask, looking towards Astrid and Heather who shake their heads.

"No, nor Khan. We could try capturing one of the hunters? Not all of them made it to the dinghies and will likely end up on Hysteria shores." Astrid says and I wince.

"What a horrific fate to befall them, such is the tale of life." Tuffnut says and I shrug.

"They must reap the consequences of their actions. We're not saving them; if you can try to grab one and we'll take them back to Berk." I state towards Astrid and Heather who nod. "Mom, Dagur, follow the dinghies and see where they go. I've got a feeling they've got a base nearby. Everyone else, head back to Berk and tell the Aux Riders to start defensive rotations around the island." I add towards Eret, Snotlout, the Twins and Fishlegs.

"You got it!" Fishlegs says as he and Meatlug take off followed by the others while Dagur and my mom take off. Glancing towards Heather and Astrid I nod.

"Okay, let's scour for a loner and see if we can't invite him back to Berk." I state and they smile, nodding and leaping into the air. Heather's dragon was far more capable at capturing loners in the water than anyone else's. With Astrid and I on her wing, we had nothing to fear and everything to gain. And gain we did, for there was a loner floating on a log adrift at sea. "There!" I call out and Heather nods, Windshear diving down and before long we had our own trapper being hung upside down by Windshear's tail. Pulling Toothless up to the Trapper who has been yelling obscenities since being scooped up, I nod to him.

"Don't you worry, you'll be on solid land and then we're going to have a nice chat. The better your answers, the better your treatment. The worse, and I'll leave you in a room with Dagur alone." I state and, while this particular trapper may not know Dagur, the other two girls knew what sort of threat that could mean. Now we could get some real intelligence, perhaps their base and leaders' intentions. Hopefully Dagur and my mother were successful in locating a base, because Krogan had effectively declared war on Berk and we were going to respond in kind and shut down his operations inside the Archipelago; for good.


	33. Working Knowledge

"I'm not talking to you, one-legged dragon loving scum." A snappy retort came from the tied-up trapper who hadn't even given his name. Glancing towards Eret and Astrid, I shrug.

"Guess Krogan's really inspired a sense of fear in them, either that or they truly hate dragons." I state. Walking closer to the others, I pull them into a large circle and look at each of them. "Any ideas, guys? He hasn't responded well to the nice way." I ask and I see Fishlegs smile.

"We could contact Alvin? Remember those bandits that captured him awhile back? He mentioned some old fashioned interrogation techniques he would apply." Fishlegs said and I was actually taken slightly aback.

"Fishlegs, are you suggesting torture? That's not really our way." I say, glancing to Astrid as she slightly nods to me. Eret moves closer to me and places a hand on my shoulder.

"True, it isn't your way. It's theirs. Drago, Khan, Ragnar; all of them revel in it. They've taught their men to fear it. Maybe we don't need to torture them, just make them think it's the next step." Eret suggests and I sigh. I am not fond of recreational pain nor causing undue suffering.

"Hiccup, these people are no ones friends." Fishlegs add and I nod, glancing to Astrid for some inkling of her opinion. She takes my hand and smiles.

"Whatever we do, we're with you. You did suggest leaving him in a room with Dagur. An angry Dagur is scary." Astrid reminds me and I laugh lightly remembering all those insane times. Nodding, I turn to the trapper and pull out Inferno. Approaching the trapper, he gazes up at me as I ignite the blade and hold it to his shoulder.

"I guess since you won't talk; there's nothing left to do but force you too. Which limb should I take first?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at the hunter. I was bluffing, Thor knows I was bluffing but hopefully he didn't. His eyes fell on the flaming blade that was mere inches from his face as he failed to answer, I shrugged. "Guess I'll pick, let's go with the food, maybe you can learn to live like me, with one leg." I state and lower the blade to his ankle as he struggles to pull back away from it.

"No, no. No! Stop! I can't say anything, Krogan'll kill me." He stutters as Astrid walks up holding her axe and rolls her eyes.

"Really, he'll kill you. What exactly do you think will happen here to you?" Astrid retorts as Eret comes up next.

"Maybe we should feed him to the dragons, or drop him on Changewing Island. They love humans." Eret suggests as I nod.

"With one leg." Snotlout adds with a smile.

"Oh, my Thor. I am loving this plan." Tuffnut interjects. "Sis, how can we make it more gruesome?" He says, turning to Ruffnut.

"Hmm, tough one. Maybe we go find Scauldy and have him melt off his flesh then drop him off at Changewing Island with one leg." She suggests and I'll admit that visual made me wince.

"All this is assuming he survives in a room alone with my brother, the Berserker Chief and his Triple Strike." Heather retorts with a shrug. I can literally see the fear mounting in this man's eyes and while I didn't like this train of thought, it at least seemed to be working.

"Alright, Alright! Stop! I believe you, put the blasted sword away!" the trapper shouts and I internally sigh. Were we any better than Krogan, Drago and the others? Using fear to get information out of this guy didn't sit well with me, Astrid knew it too as I felt her grip in my hand tighten.

"Go on, everything you know, now." I state as confidently as I can.

"Okay, okay. Since Krogan came back, he's been helping them trap dragons but not for their purposes. He's going after exotic species like the Silver Phantom and Slithersongs, the Doomfang. Khan, Ragnar and the rest are trying to organize their own dragon army like Drago had but they lack Drago's, uh, skills?" He states.

"Where is your base?" Astrid demands, holding up her axe.

"We have more than one, I only know of two myself. They keep them close to the chest in case we're captured. Bashem and Swallow. Khan and Ragnar split their forces up, I'm with Khan and we've been hunting the Doomfang. Ragnar is going after the Silver Phantom." He explains and I shake my head.

"Why, why these exotic and rare species? Their numbers are small and they are hard to find let alone capture. No chance of training them." I ask in a bewildered state.

"Not training. They want an army to take out Berk. You've become a threat they can't ignore, especially with your recent hits and the turncoat." He says, snapping his head to Eret who just laughs.

"What does that make you?" Eret retorts as he grunts angrily.

"The way I see it, you have two real options going forward." Astrid states, walking closer to him. "Throw your lot back in with them and hope their forgiving; or, throw your lot in with us and as far as they can be concerned, you died at sea." Astrid reasons as we watch the wheels turn in his head.

"Offer is only on the table in this room." I add and he sighs.

"Well the choice is obvious isn't it. Whatever die by your hand or by theirs. I don't know anything else." He admits and his shoulders drop as I nod.

"Snotlout, take him to the cells, make sure their barred and get Sven to assign a watch on him." I state and Snotlout slams his fist into his palm.

"Oh, yeah. Can I rough him up on the way there? Maybe Hookfang accidentally drops him or lights him on fire… Like he always seems to do with me." Snotlout snaps towards his dragon who laughs as I shake my head.

"Just go." I state and Snotlout laughs, taking him with him. Turning to the others, I nod. "Okay, guys, get some rest. The A team is watching our waters for the night and we need to be rested when Dagur and my mother return." Glancing towards Astrid I smile weakly. "Go." I reaffirm and her expression softens.

"What about you?" Astrid asks as the others start heading off. I sigh and shake my head.

"I'll wait for Dagur, I've got a lot on my mind." I answer and I feel her hand take mine.

"We'll wait, together. Tell me." She says softly and I smile. She turns her head to Heather. "We'll catch up with you, help yourself to the mead and food." She says as Heather nods and flies off with Windshear.

Astrid and I walk to the perch overlooking the sea near the Academy and sit as our dragons play behind us, the moon high in the dark sky and the waters deceptively calm. Her arm snakes around my waist as I rest mine on her shoulder as her head rest on mine.

"So?" She says softly and I let loose a deep breath and nod.

"How are we any better than Drago, than Krogan or anyone else who viewed their people as expendable? I can justify intimidation or torture, it's just not me. Stoick, maybe. I'm just not sure I have what it takes; I can't be him. I'm afraid I won't be able to do what needs to be done." I admit, closing my eyes.

"You don't need to be, Hiccup. You're the one with heart, the most courageous yet gentle soul on Berk. Courage isn't not being afraid; it's fighting through it. Just like before with the singetails, you found a way. You'll find a way this time, it's what makes you, you." Astrid says softly and I smile lightly. It helped hearing it from her. "And you'll never have to do it alone; we're in this together, Hiccup." She finishes and I nod, turning my head as she leans in and our lips connect. She helped me find the strength I didn't think I had.

*********************************

It always bothered me when I saw Hiccup go down that train of thought, that somehow, he had to be Stoick or something. It's all he's ever known as a Chief, even if the time at the Edge gave all of us valuable lessons, he still held himself to his father's standard which was different than his. Even if he knew he had to be his own person, I could see it when he questioned a decision based on what his father might've done. Not terrible things, but now, with an entire island of people and dragons relying on your every decision, his indecision would only cripple him.

Fortunately, that was where I came in. Where he had doubt, I helped him with confidence. Where he was afraid, I could help him find his courage. He didn't need me but having me there helps the both of us. He's not alone in this, he wasn't alone back on the Edge, and he won't be alone in the future. We will get through this together, no matter what it takes.

"What're you thinking about?" I ask softly amid our embrace. We had been gazing out into the sea for the better part of an hour since everyone else had left.

"The next step. We need to scout out these islands, maybe try to pick up intelligence on the other bases as well. We've never really traveled to these islands before beyond cursory flybys; and we know next to nothing about Swallow except that it is nearly impossible to pass with boats. Bashem is another Whispering Death nest." Hiccup states and I smile, he had gone into Hiccup Planning Mode and I just enjoyed listening to it.

"Bashem is north, which is the way the dinghies were headed." I add and he nods.

"You're right, Astrid. Maybe that'll lead Dagur and my Mother to that base, some recon of it and maybe we can take it out." Hiccup continues and I nod.

"It'd be nice to kick them out of our waters." I say and he nods.

"More than that, I want them to be done. If we can cripple their operations, they will have no choice but to leave and give up this trade." Hiccup states and my face softens, he feels it and glances down at me. "What?"

"I'm just reminded of what you said before. There will always be evil people capitalizing on the weak for gold or power. How do we fight an idea like that; it's not like we're fighting another tribe or flock of dragons. We're fighting an idea. A bad one, granted." I add and I feel him sigh.

"I know, and I don't know. There is another way, there always is.." He reaffirms and I smile, turning my head to kiss him again. Suddenly we hear a group of wings that pulls us from our kiss, and we see Dagur and Valka overhead. His mother just smiling as Dagur gazes down.

"Not what I expected to see when we got back but awesome!" Dagur exclaims as they land and approach us.

"News?" Hiccup asks and Valka nods.

"Oh, aye, son. Isle of Bashem, they have a base in a cove with half a dozen ships, dozens of dragon cages on their decks and even more in the caves. It looked like Whispering Death tunnels retrofitted to be theirs; no signs of the native dragons." Valka explained

"That matches up with what our trapper told us. We picked up a trapper floating at sea and… convinced him to talk." Hiccup stumbles to say, scratching his neck. He still wasn't comfortable with how we did that.

"Oh, my, how?! Did my little brother actually get gritty with a trapper? I'm so proud!" He exclaims and hugs Hiccup and I can see the turmoil within him as he laughs awkwardly with Dagur.

"Ha, haha, yeah, not exactly but anyways. They have a base on Swallow as well. Tomorrow we'll do more recon on Bashem. Krogan is hunting exotic species to weaponize against us. My thinking is they want species that don't usually conform to an Alpha and will therefore ignore Toothless's call." Hiccup explains.

"Aye, makes sense. We've gotta stop 'em, son." Valka says and Hiccup nods.

"We will, mom. Tomorrow. For now, both of you go get rest. We'll go over everything with the Riders tomorrow and form a plan." Hiccup states. "Dagur, you're welcome at my house, Heather is already there." He adds and Dagur shrugs.

"Truthfully, I'm not tired and I'm thinking Sleuther and I will circle again and find a nice cliff ledge to crash on. Thanks though. Breakfast at the Great Hall?" Dagur adds and we laugh lightly and nod. The duo takes off in different directions, leaving us alone again. I pull Hiccup into a deep hug and feel him ease just a bit, he was tense, I could feel it in his back.

"Don't worry about it, Hiccup. You don't need to be anyone's Viking but your own. You're not Dagur. You're not Stoick or Eret. You're not a Jorgenson, thank Thor." I say softly and feel him laugh lightly.

"To think, you and Snotlout were almost cousins." He retorts and I audibly groan which prompts him to laugh.

"Just one more reason to hit him." I say with a sigh before letting myself laugh. I feel his embrace around my waist soften as he pulls back to look at me and soon our lips were locked again. It was the moments like these that truly mattered the most to me. Stormfly and Toothless playing in the background, under the moon and in the arms of Hiccup with our bodies together and lips locked. If I could freeze this pane of memory in time I would, for it always felt perfect.

"Come on." He whispers against my lips. "Let's go get some sleep." He finishes and I smile, nodding.

"I can't think of a better place to be than falling asleep in your arms." I say softly, cornily, he laughs lightly.

"Never thought I'd hear such a cheesy line come out of a Hofferson." Hiccup retorts with a soft smile and I shrug.

"It's amazing what you do to me, you see sides of me no one has before and will since, save you." I answer and he tightens the embrace. I'd like to say I don't know why, or that I couldn't explain how Hiccup makes me feel the way I do about him, but it'd be a lie. I love him, pure and simple; I think deep down, I have for years and I just didn't know how to express it.

It wasn't long after that when we arrived back at our house, our. Heather had already made food and went to sleep, and we were soft footed in our movement. Making our way up to the room, we shredded our clothing and slinked into the bed and soon I felt his arms wrap around my waist and pull me close. His breath tickling my neck as he kissed it slightly and our legs intertwining. I let loose a long content sight and closed my eyes, letting sleep overtake me.


	34. Scouting Bashem

Early the following morning, Hiccup had Heather and I round all the riders up at the Academy. Though we ended up asleep in each other's, I felt him sift throughout the night and eventually I rolled over to face him. Together, in our bed, we spoke softly about plans and dangers, different paths we could go and how we could deal with Krogan and the trappers. It's only been two months since Stoick's death, and there was never really any time to grieve but with Krogan rehashing recent rounds, Hiccup was more emotionally vulnerable than he cared to admit. I saw it though, and he knew it which is why he didn't hide it from me. I would be there for him as he was for me, as he said when we thought I was blinded; there will always be a Hiccup and an Astrid, together.

Everyone seemed raring to go, ready to take the fight to these trappers at their ports. They had become as brutal as the Hunters when Krogan took them over, like when we found Garff nearly killed. Only this time, they were operating much closer to home. A good and a bad thing, it meant they were within striking distance but it also meant that Berk was as well. Berk had become a stronghold no one dared cross in the Archipelago. We had more dragons than people, and more people than most islands and all were willing to battle for the end. We had faced countless threats, from the Great Beyond to even closer sources like Calder and Nepenthe. Where some threats were greater than others, they all held the same prospect; that we would endure, somehow. And watching Hiccup slowly transform into a Chief of his own making could not have made me prouder.

"Alright, gang. Thanks to a combination of interrogation and scouting by Dagur and my mother, we have our first two targets. Bashem and Swallow. We will be scouting Bashem today, and if the opportunity presents itself, hitting it. Mom?" Hiccup says, looking to Valka who steps forward.

"The landscape of Bashem is rocky and seemingly uneventful, filled with towering stacks and peppered waters that makes boat travel without knowledge risky. It seems unpopulated. Dagur and I spotted dozens of Whispering Death tunnels but no signs of the actual dragons themselves. We also followed the dinghies to a cove that housed at least half a dozen vessels." She explains and glances back to Hiccup.

"Now, going on that, we've also learned more form our prisoner. Krogan has been capturing exotic species to use against us, apparently he holds a grudge." Hiccup adds and Snotlout scoffs.

"Uh, yeah. Probably cause we totally kicked his butt on Berserker Island." Snotlout shrugs and the twins snicker.

"One might even say we abashed him in the eyes of his evil peers." Tuffnut adds

"Could also say he was discountenanced by our victory." Ruffnut seconds as I can't help but laugh lightly. Still the same twins and their random facts or uncommon words.

"One could probably say all of those things; what it means is that he is desperate to regain his reputation. Desperation leads to mistakes. We've seen it back on the Edge." Hiccup states, calming them down. "We also know that there are multiple bases and that the warlords do not have Drago's sway with the masses to keep them all in line. Krogan is trying to target Berk before we become to much of a threat. Problem is, we already are." Hiccup states and I hear several yeahs from the group.

"So, what's the plan then, Chief?" Eret asks.

"Same as before. We show them that their ways are not welcome within the Archipelago, nor anywhere. While we can't police the world, we can protect that which lies within our own waters. Where he was once a formidable and overconfident enemy with Singetails, he is now a desperate man trying to get back onto the field with vague threats and taunts. We won't let it affect us, and if possible, we will capture him and let the council decide his fate." Hiccup finishes as Fishlegs raises his hand.

"Uh, Hiccup, er, Chief. Aren't we technically the council? Not that I'd say this lightly, but, I'm pretty sure most of us are set on his fate ending soon. Dragon's can't be safe with him around." Fishlegs says slowly and I glance to Hiccup who is also looking to me. I smile softly and nod.

"I agree, we should capture him and let him answer for his crimes. Even if we know that answer will ultimately be death or imprisonment." I say, nodding to him as he smiles weakly and nods.

"Excellent! From Chief to Chief, I must say I approve whole-heartily of ending that miserable man's life, through justice!" Dagur exclaims.

"Alright then, gang. Here is how we're hitting this." Hiccup begins, drawing everyone's attention to the board. "Should the opportunity to strike present itself; Fishlegs, Snotlout, Twins, Mother and Eret will be taking out the ships, remove on-deck emplacements and get any archers into the water. Dagur and Heather, focus on land-based emplacements, working together. Astrid and I will try to get inside and see if we can find any intelligence or papers with information about the other outposts or their plans, possible even Krogan or one of the Warlords." Hiccup states before looking to Heather and I.

"How is the A team doing?" He asks both of us and Heather steps forward.

"They are still doing two-hour shift rotations around the island, staying strong. I checked in with them this morning." Heather answers and glances to me with a smile as I mouth the words 'thank you.'

"Great. Okay, We'll be wings up in half an hour. I need to check in with Gobber and before we leave." Hiccup adds and everyone breaks as I close in on Hiccup.

"I'm coming with you." I state and he smiles, nodding. Together we take off and head to the forge where Gobber usually is this early in the morning. True enough, he is there this morning and seems to be working on some manner of new weapon.

"Gobber." Hiccup says as we enter the Forge.

"Ah, if it isn't the Chief O' Berk and his General. To what can I do for ya today?" Gobber asks.

"I need you to hold the fort while I'm gone. We're scouting Bashem for the Trappers today. The A team is flying in rotations and the people need to be ready for an attack." Hiccup states and Gobber nods.

"Aye, no rest for us Vikings, is there. Ye got it, Chief. Make sure yer careful, Berk can't survive without ye." Gobber adds. "I'll finish this project up then head to the great hall and organize our ground defense. With what Berk's survived in its 400 years, now with a horde of dragons, nothing can get in, I promise ye, Chief." Gobber states with his usual grin and I smile.

"Excellent, on that note, I forgot one thing in my work room." Hiccup states and Gobber waves him off as I follow to his station. Opening the door he walks in and I follow.

"So, what did you for- mmph" I began before I was pleasantly surprised by the pressure of his lips against mine. Pulling back, I narrow my eyes and smile. "Careful, Chief. You may start something you can't finish." I whisper and he smiles, kissing me again. I run my tongue across his lips and soon my tongue meets his as he presses me back against the door I had just shut. It was a breathless kiss that left us both flustered and panting as he finally pulled back.

"That, was what I forgot." He whispered and I smiled.

"Glad you remembered it, nothing like a Good Luck kiss to start the mission." I retort and he nods.

"I've half a mind to press our luck and kiss more than your lips, but that probably wouldn't be smart." He says softly and I roll my eyes with a smile.

"No, probably not. But." I pause and glance to him.

"But?" He continues as I pull his lips back against mine. We may or may not have time for that, but we certainly had a few minutes to spend lip locked in his little room. This long series of kisses passionate with our tongues dancing and our lungs left breathless with each one, our lips and heads constantly rotating as we finds new angles to deepen the kiss that by the end of it, we both were sweating slightly and out of breath as if we had just had sex.

"We." I say, breathlessly, trying to slow my heartrate down. "We are finishing this tonight, here." I finish, nodding my head to this room and he smiles.

"Deal, this room is pretty sound proofed too… just saying." He adds as I blush and nod.

"Come on, let's not keep the others waiting." I finish and he nods, kissing me one last time before we exit the Forge together. He grabbed a small tool he didn't need just in case Gobber asked him, which he didn't. And soon after, we were flying in the air.

*********************************

Bashem wasn't far from Berk on the backs of Dragons, even flying carefully and high in the sky, it was still barely an hour away. The initial fly by confirmed everything Dagur and my mother had told us before. Bashem's geography was inspirational, maybe double the size of Berk on a lark but no mountain ranges or forests, just countless rock formations and a lang peppered with Whispering Death tunnels. It was very similar to the island where the Screaming Death ended up calling its home.

There was a secluded cove on it's southwestern side which is where Dagur and my mom spotted the dinghies going. Heading around there on our fly over, we found the ships. Sure enough, there was seven ships in port, one more than there had been the night before. A sign that maybe Krogan or another Warlord was present. Our initial flight also showed a limited number of personnel on the decks, and a high number of dragons in cages. We couldn't let them be shipped off, one more ship or not, this was our que to strike.

"Alright, riders! Just like we talked about. We're saving these dragons! Wave Formation! Ships, Ground, Air. Watch each other! Dive!" I call out and we fall into our waves. Dagur and Heather taking point and doing a fast and low fly by to draw fire as they target several ground emplacements and make short work of them. The ship wave followed next, with each of them working in pairs as they targeted the ships themselves. Astrid and I flew in last and on our initial flight, targeted a few of the deck-side emplacements as we circled, looking for a commander's tent or area. There wasn't any.

"Hiccup!" Astrid calls out and as I look, she is pointing towards a large tunnel with torchlights going down it and several men running inside.

"Good enough, let's check it out!" I shout and she nods.

"On your wing!" She calls back and I smile as we dive in, blasting our way past several archers that run scared quickly. These trappers did not have the fortitude of the Hunter's we faced in the past under Krogan's command, which was reassuring at least.

Flying deeper inside the tunnel we found several tents scattered about with shouts about an attack on the ships, but one tent was different than the others, an obvious commander's tent. Perhaps too obvious if we were dealing with Viggo but Krogan liked being grandiose and anyone who called themselves a warlord was no different. Glancing back to Astrid, I nod and point towards the tent and she nods.

She peels off and distracts those men running around on the ground as Toothless and I disappear inside the darkened tunnel. Torchlight or not, Toothless was virtually invisible in a cave such as this which made our approach much easier. These tunnels were larger than average Whispering Death holes, but they appeared to be man-made renovations, not Screaming Death renovations.

We dart around and land on the exterior of the tent and peak inside, it's empty. Maybe we actually got lucky and found this place without the leaders present. Rushing inside with Toothless, there is a large table map of the Archipelago with countless islands. My own map was more detailed but this one was strategic. It pointed out several different locations, ranging from Tomorrow Island, Murderous Mountains and Hero's End, the very edge of the Archipelago before open sea. They even seemed to have resources dedicated out in the Great Beyond, far north where the Edge had been located. This operation was much larger than the Hunter's Operation. The documents seemed to suggest hundreds of ships at their disposal all headed by three warlords; Ragnar, Chaghatai Khan and a previously unknown third one, Griselda.

We'd met Ragnar and Khan, never seen Griselda yet. Krogan was recruited by Khan to do the work of Drago and act as his former master. None of this bodes well. They had more bases than we could scout properly and more ships than we could contest with openly, even with our dragons. Our best bet would be raids, cripple their forces, free the dragons, bring them to Berk. It'd make Berk a beacon to attack by sea but if they had no air power to match, hundreds of dragons beats hundreds of ships.

Oh, there was something else. Something I'd need to keep close to the chest; they were targeting Toothless and I specifically. But it was more than that, they wanted to see me killed and Toothless Captured. Apparently, word has gotten out that he is the new Alpha, luckily, since he is unique, countering Toothless has proven a task no one has been up too yet. They're trying their luck with Krogan again, but knowing all of this, we should be ahead of him. It'll take months to hit all these locations and free all these dragons, and that's assuming this is everything.

Free them we will, though. Taking the notes I made as detailed as possible, Toothless paces, just listening to the sounds of the Nadder's spine shots and magnesium blasts.

"Okay, bud. Let's go and get Astrid. We're done here." I whisper and hop on his back. Glancing to the map, I struggle with having toothless destroy it or leaving it alone and hoping they remain oblivious to us knowing about it. The side of my father says to destroy it, the side of my mother says to leave it. As much as I wanted to honor my father, in this case, if they didn't know we knew, maybe they wouldn't change and it'd give us more time to hit them. Leave it, it is.

Darting out with Toothless, we take to the air in the cave and blast at an archer lining up a shot on Astrid as we fly past. "Let's go!" I call out and she nods, darting behind me we make our way out of the caves. We were fortunate that the caves didn't seem to house dragons, I didn't hear any calls for help anyways.

When we exited the caves, what I saw was a mixture of beauty and horror as smoke filled the sky from the seven ships that were sunk or sinking and the countless emptied cages with a whole flock of dragons circling overhead with the riders. Smiling, I darted up with Astrid and flagged them down.

"Diamond Formation. Let's escort these dragons back to Berk and introduce them to their new home. After that, we've got some things to talk about!" I call out as we start flying.

"Did you find anything useful!?" Eret calls out and I glance back at him with a smile, then my eyes find Astrid as I nod, my smile wide which makes her smile.

"Oh, yes. Enough to get these guys on the run, a pity Krogan wasn't here to see it." I call back and hear them shout yeah. The twins suddenly break into the Hooligan song with a new sect of lyrics.

"Hooligan Tribe; won't you come out tonight. Come out tonight, Come Out Tonight!" the twins begin as Snotlout and Fishlegs join in. "Hooligan Tribe; won't you come out tonight. Come out tonight, Come Out Tonight!" Prompting the rest of us to laugh as we repeat it with them. "Hooligan Tribe; won't you come out tonight. Come out tonight, Come Out Tonight!"

"Or fly by the light of the moon! Oh, by the light of the moon! Oh, by the light of the moon! Remember your dragon hide and fire! Also get ready for the burn!" The twins add as we all glance back.

"You guys can't keep changing those lyrics!" Snotlout exclaims as we laugh at the exchange.

"We have changed nothing, merely adapted!" Ruffnut retorts and Snotlout yells

"That literally means to change!" He yells back as Tuffnut shakes his head.

"No, my mistaken young Viking brother. Adapting is to modify the purpose of or alter slightly, thus becoming adjusted to new conditions!" Tuffnut retorts as I hear Snotlout growl to himself. Shaking my head, I glance at Astrid with a smile and shout back.

"Dinner in the Great Hall tonight, gang!" I say and they all shout. It was a victory, to be sure. We'd see the end of these trappers even if it took is months. We'd free every dragon they capture from every corner of their trapping empire.


	35. Gossip and Tease

When we arrived at Berk, we were pleasantly surprised by the progress Gobber seems to have made in its defense. The port had been barricaded with Gronkle-Iron casting, several sea facing houses had barriers shielding their walls. The catapults and ballista's were loaded and manned with Berks' own small naval force clearing the harbor. We'd never really rebuilt our fleet of vessels after the Red Death, cause, well, we never needed too. We had a couple dozen ships and over the past five years went from a handful of dragon riders to nearly every citizen at least befriending their own dragon if not outright riding them. Not all of them were skyward warriors, by any means, and our Aux team's numbers was still relatively small compared to our population. That said, we had a dragon rider to match each ship we had, plus the Riders. Through coordinated effort, even a fleet of a hundred would be hard pressed to match our defense in firepower alone.

What we really had to be prepared for was Krogan trying to infiltrate us, or using bounty hunters to get to me. Neither seemed all that plausible to be honest, Berk was one of the best defended Viking Strongholds in the Archipelago. It's odd to me, because many attribute its current place my doing. They say how great Chief Hiccup is; its discerning. Luckily, Astrid helps keep me sane.

Flying in, all the riders head to the Hall as Astrid and I peel off towards the a flying Aux team member who, turns out to be Gustav. Flagging him down, he brings Hookfang closer to us.

"Hey, oh Chiefly one!" He calls out as we fly closer.

"Gustav! Corral the Aux team on short shifts. I'm bringing all the riders into the Hall for a dinner and to go over what we've learned. Everyone needs to be ready and have a chance to hear it. Then, I'll need them patrolling through the night, we might've kicked a Nadder's nest with our mission, so be on the lookout. Let them know to send an immediate distress call should anything be out of the ordinary." I say and he nods.

"You got it, Chief." He replies and flies off. I glance to Astrid with bewildered eyes.

"Can that really be Gustav? He's changed so much since trying to join the riders and the berserkers and the edge and wow, I can barely tell that's him." I exclaim and she laughs.

"Yeah, after the whole Berserker near-coup and his failed apprenticeship, he really focused on his flying and Hookfang. I'd argue he could replace Snotlout should we ever feel the need." Astrid retorts with a laugh and I smile.

"Yeah right, like that time the twins made him think he was dying. Oh, gods, we'd never hear the end of it. I'm just glad he's grown." I answer and she nods. "Okay, to the Hall!" I say and she smiles, following me down.

I find Gobber almost immediately in there and flag him down as well. "Gobber, I need you here as well to relay to the ships. We lucked out and got a lot of useful intelligence." I state and he does a half salute with his wooden hand attachment.

"Righteo, dinner time then. Eh, hope Valka doesn't cook." He says shambling off as I chuckle and Astrid glances at me.

"Can your mother not cook?" She asks and I shrug

"Not really sure, only had her cooking once when we were at the Island of the Bewilderbeast, and didn't get to eat any of it with Drago's invasion. Gobber seems to think it's horrible." I say with a soft sigh and light smile.

"Hiccup?" Astrid says, placing her hand on my shoulder as I nod.

"I'm fine, really. I think, I'm actually starting to find peace with it all. Though constant conflict may just be distracting me." I chuckle lightly as she shakes her head.

"Running from it or hiding behind duty isn't the answer, you know that. You've not had a solid month of peace since." She says softly and I shrug.

"I have you." I say simply and she smiles, nodding.

"That, you do." She answers and together we walk towards the head table as the riders start filtering in.

It takes everyone about fifteen minutes to settle down and find a seat around the tables as I pull out the information I gathered, Valka, Astrid, Eret and Gobber being the closest, all lean in and read with me. Both Astrid and my mother's smiles at the festivities fade immediately as I stand.

"Alright, Riders! Here's what we now know, and brace yourself, it is not good." I begin, taking a deep breath as they all look on at me. "There are three warlords, Griselda the Grievous, Ragnar the Rock and Changhatai Khan. They've split what remains of Drago's armies and have each begun trapping operations in and beyond the Archipelago." I state.

"They have operations in and around the Murderous Mountains to the west, Swallow to the south and even the beyond the Edge to the north. This operation consists of hundreds of ships, all designed for trapping dragons. Thing is, they aren't operating like the hunters who just wanted to see them sold for profit, they are weaponizing them like Drago and Krogan did. With that, they've employed Krogan to attempt to remove a thorn in their operations." I pause and glance at Astrid. The look on her face gives me pause but I'm resolved to not let the fear rule me; I needed to be like Stoick in this case.

"Berk. Specifically, me. They seem to be under the impression that Berk's dragon horde will come to them, and Berk's people ruined if Toothless is either captured or killed, and I am just removed entirely." I continue, I feel Astrid's hand find mine as it rests on the table.

"Everything I've asked you to do, has been for the people of Berk and for Dragonkind as a whole. I will not ask any of you to risk your lives for me if I am the sole target. I do not want to bring war to our people or upend them from their homes." I finish and glance down to Astrid again. I wasn't sure what to do, or what to say at this point. Luckily, I was saved by the someone I least expected it from.

"Um, I'm sorry. Is our Chief Hiccup Haddock the Third suggesting he turns himself over to Krogan? Cause, sorry, not on my watch." Snotlout, of all people, Snotlout states, standing up. Then twins follow suit.

"Uh, yeah, sorry chiefly one, that's a nogo. Non-choicio-in-the-archipelago." Tuff states, waving his hands as Ruff nods. Soon after, several others riders stand and repeat them with varying words, Dagur and Heather too.

"Sorry, Brother. I know a Chief has to do what a Chief has to do, but this time, that is something the Chief cannot do. The Berserkers are with you." Dagur states.

"We're all with you." Astrid adds, standing next to me as my mother stands with her and nods. "Remember those bounty hunters, what Stoick said? Mess with one of us, you get all of us?" She finishes with a nod and I smile. I didn't have too, I wouldn't ask them, but apparently I didn't need too.

"So, what's the plan then?" Fishlegs asks and I smirk.

"We're going to do what we've been doing. Now we have base locations, ship routes, names of their leaders. We can raid and free every dragon they've captured. Send them back to the corners they crawled from." I state as Eret looks at me.

"And what of Krogan?" He asks and my smile falters as I glance to Astrid and she nods, her grip in my hand staying strong.

"We find him, and end his pursuit once and for all." Astrid remarks to Eret, still looking at me as I smile. I could never have asked for a better group of people to call my own. We'd treaded Njord's seas and Thor's thunder, we've treaded in Tyr's domain of war and faced Odin's judgement himself; Together, and we will again.

"Alright then, eat up, drink up! Gustav, rotate the Aux riders. Fishlegs, send a T-mail to the ships in the harbor. They all need to know what was spoken here." I state and they both nod, and for once in a good long while, I actually felt like we were a step ahead.

*********************************

It was heartwarming for me to not be the first to Hiccup's defense, to actually see Snotlout, the twins, Gustav, Spitelout, Sven, and all the others riders present quickly dismiss his idea before he even finished speaking it. A part of me was distraught, upset even, that he would've considered that without talking to me about it first, but he was trying to be Chief. He wasn't trying, he was being Chief; the good of the many outweighs the good of the one, or so he thought.

The dinner went on for a few hours with various ship captains, aux riders and other citizens making their way in and out. It wasn't a grandiose feast like we'd had with Alvin or the like, but it was a long-standing dinner where laughter sung through the halls as our fears had been met by our resolve. Sure, it wasn't a victory, not by a long shot, not yet. But it was a step in the right direction, and with Hiccup, I knew we'd see it through to the end.

"So, were you really going to suggest turning yourself over to Krogan?" I ask, leaning my back against his shoulder as we both watch the various ruckus going on beyond the table. He shrugs.

"It was something I was considering, but that doesn't seem to be an option." He says light heartedly as I turn and look at him.

"And you were really going to suggest that, to everyone, before talking to me about it first?" I state more than ask and he shakes his head.

"Honestly, no. I wasn't sure what I was suggesting being honest. But I needed to tell everyone what I saw, I needed to tell you, I just didn't know how. It's not like the bounty with Viggo, Krogan actually wants my head. Finish what Drago started and end the Haddock line." Hiccup responds and I close my eyes and shake my head.

"Not happening." I state before the loud and obnoxious voice of Snotlout fills the nearby air as we both glance over to see him talking with Valka and Eret, apparently he's trying to flex, prompting me to gag.

"Is he trying to flirt with my mom?" Hiccup asks bewildered and I snort a laugh at the comment as I feel him lightly hit my shoulder. "Not funny!" He exclaims as I laugh.

"Oh, it is totally funny. Especially since I've it on good knowledge Valka isn't interested in remarrying." I retort and he rolls his eyes.

"Wait, whatever happened to that wingmaiden? Minden. She and Snotlout hit it off pretty well considering they were both disobeying orders together." Hiccup asks and I pause, nodding with a smile.

"Maybe we invite the Wingmaidens to our next feast and see if he's still the muttonhead he was when he met them." I say with a shrug.

"Didn't they try to boil him in a stew?" Hiccup asks

"Supposedly, not sure how that would've tasted." I respond with another gag and lean into him again.

"And what about Fishlegs and Ruffnut? They aren't a thing yet, but something tells me they may be." Hiccup suggests and I shake my head against his shoulder.

"Yeah, they were even married for a day at the Edge. Ugh, can we just not about them?" I ask, repressing yet another gag as he laughs lightly.

"Okay, we still want to try to match Heather and Eret?" He asks and I shrug. Heather and I had a long private talk the morning he went to the forge to start prep work on our suits. With Fishlegs focusing his attention on Ruffnut more and Snotlout being Snotlout. She admitted that the only other suitor of actual worth to her was already taken; Hiccup, of course, and she wasn't going to try anything there. It makes me laugh lightly as I feel Hiccup's hand brush my hair. "What?"

"Funny story there, apparently your brother, Dagur, has been bugging Heather about a suitor as well. Since he married Mala. She said the only suitors she was interested in were taken or focused elsewhere. Did you know the Berserkers have something called amor provocation? It means a love challenge, where one interested party can challenge another for the affection of a mutual love." I explain briefly and he shakes his head.

"I did not know that, nor do I really care too. That'd just be drama and I'm quite content with how things are on Berk." He responds and though he can't see it, he's made me smile rather widely. Turning to him, I plant a solid kiss on his lips and nod.

"Good answer. Score one in the Haddock Win Column." I say playfully and he smiles.

"So, we both win?" He retorts and I smile, shaking my head and resting my head back on his shoulder. It was moments like these, the lull in war or battle where we found a moment to be alone that I had grown to crave.

"Since we're playing the match-making game. Other thoughts on Heather or Eret even?" I say softly, it was rather fun to have these random playful talks. Our love had been cultivated by years of friendship that had grown into veneration layered in intimacy and mutual admiration. Not everyone can say the same, and while no one needs such a repertoire with their lover, it certainly does help allay any lingering doubts or fears.

"Well, if Eret's a no-go for Heather. Maybe Throk? He's changed since he, ah-hem, tried to kidnap Ruffnut." Hiccup suggests and I audibly groan at the memory. I was literally ready to behead that man, no matter the good he'd done previously. I sigh and run my finger along Hiccup's arm and shrug.

"Maybe. Would be easier considering Mala. Surprised Mala just didn't marry Throk but then again, Mala was big on that whole prophesied lover from a foreign land thing. When she thought it was Snotlout, Oi." I say.

"They planned to have Snotlout fail that from the start. Throk aimed just a tad high on purpose, Toothless's blast aside. Mala winked to me when Snotlout hit the ground as she caught the arrow. She knew he'd fail but she wanted to put him through the paces." Hiccup answers and I laugh.

"Go figure. Okay then, back to Eret then." I suggest and he grabs my hands and turns me to face him, kissing me lightly on the lips.

"I've a better idea. Why don't you come back with me to the forge so I can put that tool away." He whispers just loud enough for his words to barely enter my ear and I smile, biting my lip and nodding.

"What a wonderful idea, maybe you can, uh, show me a little bit about blacksmithing. How the… hammer works when the forge is heated just right." I whisper back teasingly, and he shakes his head.

"You are absolutely evil." He retorts and I grin, standing and taking him with me. Saying our goodbyes to those still in the Hall, we make our way out relatively quietly. The sky is clear of clouds and the sign of the aux team in the sky, among other various dragons just randomly flying, fills me with a certain amount of ease.

Making our way to the forge, it is, of course, dark, and unlit. Not that it mattered, Hiccup had a smaller furnace in his little work room he added. He even suggested the room had extra sound padding, a perfect retreat for us I'm surprised we hadn't used before. As we enter, no later than it took for the door to shut and Hiccup to latch it did I press myself against him on the door and press my lips fully to his. He reciprocated in kind and his arms snaked around my waist pulling me in as we struggled for breath but didn't want to break the kiss. Pulling back with a light pant and flustered faces, we both smile.

"That was for earlier." I whisper, biting his lower lip.

"How ever can I make it up to you." He retorts playfully and I stop, looking him in the eyes with a smile as my hand slides down his chest to his groin.

"If you can guess what I'm thinking, right now, we'll call it even." I suggest.

"And if I can't?" He teases and I smile

"Then we don't leave this room until you do." I answer and he leans in, kissing me lightly before his lips trail down my neck, eliciting a moan from me as I feel him bite softly.

"It's going to take me awhile to guess that, but maybe if we explore, I'll figure it out." He whispers against my neck and I shiver, biting my lip and closing my eyes as he kisses the area he just bit.

"Explore away, we've all night. I'll give you a hint; it has to do with how the hammer works in a forge" I say teasingly, and he just smiles. I felt the heat rushing through my body and knew that soon, this would become my favorite room in all the Archipelago.


	36. Heat in the Forge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

Hiccup had lit the forge in his workspace, and we had long since sealed the door, the cold air from the outside unable to penetrate the thick wooden walls with both the door and window sealed. He explained he'd work on small projects alone in here, such as the necklace he had given me. The smoke from the forge was routed up, and so long as he wasn't adding more fuel to the flame, the room was, while hot, not unbearable. There was a sweat lacing down our skin only made more potent by our breathless dance between our lips. Each time we pulled away, we were left struggling to regain our breath and struggling more to not ignore it and press further.

His lips traced down my neck as he kept me pinned against a wall, my eyes rolling back as he finds the spot on my neck. We hadn't even shredded all our cloths yet, which was fine with me for the moment as I enjoyed every second of attention that he gave me.

"Mmm, Hiccup." I say softly, bringing my head down to look at him as he pulls back. "There's something I wanted to tell you, I, uh, spoke with Gothi." I say softly as his head turns slightly.

"About?" He asks, pressing his body against mine and running his lips up my neck to my ear, making it extremely challenging to concentrate.

"How to… avoid… getting pregnant." I stumble softly and he stops his affection to my own displeasure as I laugh lightly at his look of concern. "Relax. It was a, theoretical scenario. I explain it as though, when I marry, if I wasn't ready to give up dragon riding yet." I explain and he nods softly.

"A-and, to what end?" He asks and I shake my head with a smile.

"I want to feel you, and I want us to be able to feel that together." I say softly, pressing my lips to his, drinking in the heat before pushing him back a bit. "So, she told me of an herb called Wild Carrot; it's fairly common in the archipelago… and it, uh, helps. Taking it during certain times of the month can prevent pregnancy. There are mild risks with it, but she warned me about those as well." I slowly explain, which is unduly awkward for me. I could battle mercenaries or trappers, rider dragons hundreds of feet in the sky or float in a pool of lava. Yet talking about pregnancy prevention, with Hiccup, was painful. I suppose my unease was unwarranted as I feel his lips press against mine.

"You didn't need to do any of that." He says softly against my lips and I smile.

"I wanted too. Point is, Hiccup; we can go all in tonight, right now." I answer back barely above a whisper as his eyes gaze into mine. Placing my hand on his cheek, I smile and nod. "I want too… if, if you do." I finish meekly, by the gods, I wanted this conversation to be done so I could feel his lips fully again but he needed to know. The warm look in his eyes and light smile that followed put my own unease to rest as I felt his hands take mine up to our chest as I look down at his hands, massaging mine.

"In that case, we're overdressed, don't you think." He playfully retorts, prompting me to chuckle slightly as I shake my head. He could almost always do that, make a challenging situation seem easy. I look back up, biting my lip and nod slightly.

"I think we are." I whisper and press my hand against his chest, pushing him back and closer to the floor. He doesn't fight it and moments later I'm straddling him with his hands on my hip as I begin undoing the rest of my sashes and laces, looking down at him with a smile as he just watches. His hands slowly running up and down my side as piece by piece, my clothing is shredded from my body until I sit naked, straddling him. "You're turn." I whisper and before he can even start unhooking his own cloths, I shake my head and press my finger to his lips.

Tracing down and kissing him softly, I slide my hands down and begin removing each article of clothing or suit he was still wearing. We had grown rather familiar with each other's cloths that it was like taking off my own. He was so keen to give my body attention when he disrobed me, that I felt the need, the want to return the favor.

He was still a hiccup by Viking standard, but he was no twig. Years of being a blacksmith, years of being a rider had blessed him with a lean and muscled body. He didn't have the arms of other Viking men, but they were no less toned. It made spending those extra seconds running my fingers or lips down his body even more enjoyable. The heat from the forge still packing the room as the signs of sweat and warmth protruded from our bodies. And soon he too was lying naked on his back with me lying between his legs looking up at him. He glanced down but said nothing, nothing needed be said as his head rolled back against the floor while my lips slowly wrapped themselves around his already hardening member. One of the side effects of Wild Carrot that could be readily eases by a nice slick member.

Lathering it with my tongue as I slowly massaged the base, his slight moans of pleasure made me smile while I worked. There was something to be said for hearing the effect you have on your partner, knowing in this moment that you are filling them with such a degree of euphoria they can hardly contain themselves. It was even more when my name would escape his lips as I worked; no matter what was going on around the archipelago, none of it mattered. All that was on my mind was him, and those moments of audible gasps let me know I was only on his.

I felt his member throb under my care as the sound of the slick wetness I had left behind was heard when I ran my grip up and down the shaft slowly. Slowly crawling back up his body, I slipped my legs over his, so I was straddling him again, grinding my hips against his but not letting his member enter. I'll admit, I was taken slightly by surprise when he kicked his leg and I felt his hand wrap around my waist, lowering me on my back, with his member now mere blades of grass away from mine as I smile. It made me feel flustered and hot when he did that; took control, did the direct approach.

"Before we do that, my turn." He whispers softly as I gaze at him questioningly, but my confusion is extremely short lived as he slowly glides down my body. I wasn't going to fight it, it felt inexplicably good when I felt his lips around my own area, his fingers.

I felt my own eyes roll back as I felt his tongue start its dance around my area's sensitive entry. He ran his hand up my heated body until his finger found my lips and I wrapped my lips around it without hardly thinking. His tongue still sending me shivers as he slowly pulls his finger out of my mouth and gently slides it back down my bare chest. Moments later, I felt it slip inside and slowly begin working in and our while his tongue never ceased its gentle massaging. It was enough to make my back arch and legs widen autonomously. My own hands looking for something, anything, to grab onto, soon found his head between my legs. Running my fingers through his hair as he continued his finger and tongue work, I felt the heat built up inside me. This was what he wanted; he had grown fond of doing this before we actually penetrated. Soon, I could no longer stifle my moans as I felt myself explode and the slick wet layer my own area as he slows down in his attention. Slowly withdrawing the finger, he glances up at me as I struggle to look at him while my legs and hips shake.

"Now, we can feel it together." He whispers, crawling back up my body and I smile, shaking my head. The beauty of being a warrior, legs weak or no, I was still strong. I pushed up against him and toppled him back onto his back, straddling him as I pin both his hands above his head and glide my wet area across his hard member. He did not fight it, in fact, I know he enjoyed it.

*********************************

Astrid had almost always been stronger than me, except in recent years and even then, even when we dueled together for real; it was close. Not that I minded, there was something attractive about being able to train and sweat with your partner outside of a bed, granted we weren't partners like this back on Edge but the thoughts were there. When she toppled me onto my back and started grinding her hips to mine, layering my own member with the results of my work, it made me want her more. We had both tasted each other, drink in each other's presence of melt in each other's arms; especially next to a slow burning forge. Yet it did not stop us from pressing our bodies together; it didn't stop her from leaning down as she kept my hands pinned and pressing her lips to mine. Her hips still slowly rocking over my hard member as her tongue danced with mine while our lips were locked in a breathless embrace. I wonder if she could taste herself, not that it mattered.

The urge for my hands to settle on her hips was palpable and hard to ignore as I playfully struggled against her pin; could I force my way out of it? Probably, do I want to? No. She felt my efforts and I felt her lips curl into a smile against mine as her hips pressed further down, my member resting lengthwise against her. All it would take is an inch for me to thrust up within her as she breaks our kiss and we both struggle lightly to regain our breath.

"Struggling, babe?" She whispers playfully against my ear.

"Fighting the urge to topple you and reacquaint you to my hammer." I retort with a smile and she leans back, sitting fully upright while straddling me, releasing my hands and they follow her, resting on my hips as she grinds softly. She must feel my member throb between her legs, she enjoyed teasing me in this way… I enjoyed it too.

"Tell me then, what do you want?" She says, gazing down at me as my eyes trace her body. From her eyes to her flustered cheeks and lips, the mark that is slowly taking root on her neck where I've bitten and kissed. Down her shoulders to her breasts, her nipples down to her waist and in between her thighs where my hands rest and I can barely see the tip of my member pressed between her hips and my lower abdomen. She was a sight to behold, one I could gaze upon all day and night and never feel as though I wasted any time.

"You. All of you." I respond simple with a smile as I rock my hips against hers and she smiles. Leaning her hips forward and sliding one of her hands between us, I feel her grip find my member as she guides it into her. Just the tip first, then slowly, I feel myself slide further and further inside her as she lowers her hips back down against mine. I feel her contract against my member as a soft moan escapes her lips. Slowly, she starts grinding back and forth against my hips, pressing down with each movement as I rock my hips with hers.

My member sliding back in and out as she rocks further forward and back fully onto it, a moan escapes her lips each time she sits back onto the full length of my member as her hands find their way to my chest. Moving my hands from her hips, I snake my fingers in between her fingers as I interlock our hands and pull her down, her pressing her lips to mine as another moan echoes through her body against my lips. I feel her lips trace my neck and bite as my own hands return to her hips and I start rocking faster as I feel her own speed increase. This would be the first time we weren't going to stop, the first time we'd let ourselves go; together. If the sounds of her increased moans were any indication, I knew she was getting closer as the sweat from her brow dripped onto my forehead when she returned her lips to mine.

"Hiccup, Hiccup. Mmph, yes, yes, gods, don't stop." She moans against my lips as I bite her lower lip and moan against it.

"Astrid! Almost; almost!" I moan against her lips, my breath hitching as I struggle to catch it between thrusts and our lips being locked. I was mere seconds from exploding and erupting within her, and she was close to it was well.

"Yes! Almost! Oh, gods, Hiccup!" She exclaims as I feel her contract and tighten against me as her legs shake while she tries to keep rocking her hips. As I feel her tighten, I let any restraint I had been trying to hold onto go and erupt within her, my head falling back against the ground as I feel myself unloading within her. "I-I can feel it." She stammers, breathlessly, her grinding slowing significantly but still going as her legs continue their shake. "Di-Did you?" She asks, leaning down to me, not stopping her hips which felt like an amazing massage. I gaze up into her eyes with a smile.

"I did, did you?" I ask and she nods, pressing her lips to mine as she places one of her hands on my cheek.

"We finally did it, together." She says softly and lets herself lay fully on top of me as my hands interlock around her lower back, my member still throbbing inside her as her legs slowly stop shaking and her grinding comes to a stop. "I could lay like this forever." She whispers.

"That was incredible; feeling you while I did, I guess I didn't realize what I was missing." I say softly, my member still hard but softening form the lack of movement.

"Hopefully, with this herb, it'll be that way from now on." She answers before turning her head and looking down at me with a playful smile. "I mean, I still plan to… you know." She says, licking her lips and I laugh lightly.

"Oh, good. Cause I love that." I reply

"Love what? Feeling it or giving it?" She retorts and I can see the soft bite of her lower lip.

"Both? I mean, give me one or the other and I could spend all day between your legs." I state with a grin and the look on her face was utterly priceless as her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed even redder than the heat the forge is making them. "What do you not like it?" I suggestively ask and she vehemently shakes her head.

"I love it." She replies and pauses with another light shake and sigh. "We're so not traditional Vikings, are we?" She asks and I roll my shoulders lightly.

"You say that like it's a bad thing. Give me a choice of traditions, or watching your back arch while I drink in your presence between your legs? Traditions can be damned; at least those traditions." I suggest and she smiles, leaning back into kiss me. Running her finger down my chest as she pulls away from the kiss, she nods.

"I agree completely. Maybe we'll try something else later." She suggests and I turn my head quizzically.

"Going somewhere?" I ask, tightening my grip around her waists as she smiles and shakes her head.

"Not at all, I'm yours, tonight and forever. And right now." She pauses, leaning her head against my chest as her arms wrap around mine as she lays on top me, her legs still straddling mine. "Right now, I just want to stay like this." She says softly and I smile.

"Sounds perfect to me." I reply and together, we just lay there for a while, basking in each other's presence, forgetting the troubles of the archipelago outside this small room, relishing this moment just to each other. After what feels like an eternity, but in truth is probably mere minutes, I kiss her forehead softly.

"Astrid Hofferson, to be Haddock, I love you. No matter what the future holds, it is these moments with you I fight for, that I promise will never cease so long as you'll have me." I whisper and I feel her grip around my arm tighten.

"Forever sounds good to me. From now into Valhalla and beyond; I will always be with you. I love you, Hiccup Haddock." She answers softly and I smile, my grip tightening across her back. There was no better way to lay than in the arms of your lover, your partner, your friend, and ally; Astrid was all these things to me and so much more.


	37. The Swallowlands

The next day was a mission meant to confirm or deny the intelligence we had gathered thus far. I would be leading the Riders to the Isle of Swallow to investigate the supposed base and if possible, wreck it beyond use. Dagur, Heather, Eret and my mother all insisted on joining us which, frankly, I was okay with. With increasing numbers, it wouldn't be like the last time we encountered Krogan where he had an army of Singetails and their flyers at the ready. Since the destruction of the Dragon Eyes, the only recorded place of knowledge for dragon lore was in Berk's very own Dragon Manuel and Fishleg's quick cards. We never destroyed the lenses, and since the secrets to creating new Dragon Eye's died long ago or rested safely with me, I didn't feel the need to destroy them.

This all meant that there would be no true fear of these trappers gaining a new army of dragons, not unless Krogan went out of his way to reacquire the Singetails or some other species. With as territorial as those dragons are, and without a Deathsong at his disposal, acquiring them or any other dragon would be a lot of resources. Which could explain why they are in so many locations. Operating within the Archipelago near striking range of Berk was risky enough unless you had a plan. Krogan was no Viggo but a small part of me still worried I was missing something. My mind was constantly racing as we neared Swallow, though it was amusing to hear the banter between the riders like old times. Snotlout had managed to say something to irritate Astrid again, as if that was challenging, so she spent much of the flight introducing Eret and my mother to her Jorgensen jokes.

"How do you sink a Jorgenson Battleship? You put it in the water!" She says, swaying Stormfly near Hookfang as everyone else snickers.

"Oh, come on. We heard that one years ago. Leave it to a Hofferson to say things everyone's already heard." Snotlout retorts.

"I haven't, and I quite like them. Got another?" Dagur asks with a serious face towards Snotlout that switches to a grin towards Astrid.

"For days, Dagur. How do you confuse a Jorgenson? Put him in a round circle and tell him to go to the corner!" She adds and Dagur laughs overtly as Snotlout fake claps. "How do you beat a Jorgenson at Maces and Talons? You ask them to play!" She adds.

"Okay, fine. Miss Comedian. How does a Hofferson sharpen their axe? By asking a Jorgenson for theirs!" Snotlout retorts and I can literally feel a couple riders' glance back at Snotlout. "What?"

"Eh, needs work. 4/10" Tuffnut states with a shrug.

"Yeah, the material was there but the delivery was out of wack. Astrid's still the champ." Ruff agrees.

"Oh, hey, we're here!" I call back, distracting the crew before the insults, in good fun, become annoying instead of funny. "Wide V Formation, stay high in the clouds. We don't want to give our position away." I order and everyone filters in line. Glancing to my right, I see Astrid look to me with a smile and nod from the back of Stormfly as I pull out my spyglass.

The island itself was large, two thirds the size of Berserker Island and almost double that of Berk. The more interesting thing about the island was the swallowing sands that surround it. A swath of sand-land at sea level that filtered between being flooded by the water and being above. Impossible for ships to travel through and it nearly surrounded the island itself except for a few smaller channels of actual water that were barely wide enough for a trader's ship to pass, let alone a battleship. The swallowing sands were rumored to be something of a death trap and as such, we've never explored it by ship and only did cursory explorations with our dragons back when both Berserk and the Outcasts were a threat. We had no reason to really go so far south considering the island itself has no signs of dragons and really is something of an anomaly.

It was likely a larger island at some point, maybe attached to a neighboring island in the archipelago, hard to say. Even traders didn't venture here often due to the danger-brutes; another reclusive tribe that is largely self sufficient and has been known for violence. Not much is known about their customs as we've had no interactions with them, and I wasn't really in the mood to try and establish an alliance with them anyways. We have enough problems.

"Hiccup!" Astrid's voice calls out to me, bringing me back to the task at hand. "See anything?" She asks and I shake my head.

"Nothing. The Swallowing sands make passage by ship nearly impossible except for a few key locations on the north and a straight channel of sea water on the west of the island. But that channel is hardly wide enough for trader vessels let alone trappers. I can't find any evidence of recent traffic, and the island itself is mostly barren with rock formations, sea stacks and dunes. No real vegetation to speak of." I explain, holstering my spyglass.

"So, swoop in for a closer look?" Fishlegs asks and I nod.

"Yes, but not everyone. Snotlout, Heather, Astrid and I will do a low fly by. Our dragons are the fastest. Everyone else, circle high and watch for signs of retaliation or a distress call. Once we're down there, Snotlout on my wing, Heather has Astrid's wing." I state and everyone nods as we break formation and begin our descent.

Our initial fly around the island revealed what I had seen in the spyglass. An island of sand dunes, rock formations and varying sea stacks that was wet, like the water from the ocean carried across the sand. I doubt this island would be a suitable home for even the sturdiest of boulder class dragons. Glancing to Astrid as we fly, I flag her down.

"Astrid, have Stormfly fire a couple spine shots at the swallowing sands sand area. I have a theory." I ask her and she nods. Rumor was it was not even safe to walk on this sand and as Stormfly fired her barbs and they slowly began to sink into the sand, my theory was confirmed. "Okay, do not land in the swallowing sands. In fact, only land on solid rock formations, I have a feeling this entire island is a death trap waiting to happen." I explain.

"Good choice, Hiccup. Excellent first mission." Snotlout says with a shrug. "Why'd you have us scout this place?"

"The real question is why did the map say the Trappers had an operation out here when this island appears deserted. Anyone spot any caves?" I call out only to see three shaking heads. "Okay, keep looking. I don't want to cross this off yet without being thorough." I add and they all nod. Astrid pulls Stormfly closer to Toothless.

"Hiccup, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Astrid asks, and I can hear the concern in her voice.

"That this was a set up or a trap? Yeah. The raid back on Bashem did seem just a little too easy. Let's see what we find, Krogan is no Viggo but we can't afford to underestimate him." I say and she nods, forcing a light smile on her face. She was fighting apprehension at the situation, I could tell, and so was I.

"I found a cave over here!" I hear Heather call out as we dive towards her. The cave is near the north on a mouth of the swallowing sands where ships could possibly almost make it. But you'd still need to cross hundreds of feet of swallowing sands to get to the opening.

"Let's check it out. Astrid, Heather, stay here and listen if we send a distress call so you can warn the others. Snotlout, with me." I state and Astrid pauses her flight.

"Hiccup." She begins and I shake my head and look to her. She knew we had to keep it business as usual during missions. It had been a challenge for years, but we're getting better at it. I see her smile as she nods. "Be safe." She adds and I nod, smiling.

"Oh, yeah, I'll be safe too." Snotlout adds and I shrug with a chuckle as we dive in the cave. The opening large enough to comfortably fit almost any Titan Wing we've encountered to date, but the inner tunnel system seems to spread off after that. There are signs of human involvement here, barrels and crates scattered. Maybe this was something after all.

*********************************

It always bothered me to watch him fly into a dark unknown by himself, especially with a threat like Krogan looming. Swallow wasn't exactly a welcoming environment either, nearly inaccessible to ships and few places to land with dragons. There were no signs of life on this island of dunes, and only the one cave so far had been spotted. I felt like there had to be more, there just had to be. Against the cloud cover, I flagged Valka down to me and she answered quickly, likely thinking something was wrong.

"Valka, Hiccup and Snotlout are exploring this cavern. I want you to take Eret and do another scout around the island and look for similar caves. Heather and I are staying here in case they need backup, and we can inform everyone. Don't go into a cave if you spot one, just mark it." I explain. It felt weird giving Hiccup's mom orders, but she took it in stride with a smile.

"Will do." She answers and a nod and flies up, moments later I see Eret break formation with her, now leaving the Twins, Fishlegs and Dagur flying support. A large part of me wanted to fly in there after nearly a quarter hour had passed with no word from Hiccup or Snotlout. This whole situation was just too quiet. Heather must've sensed my concern as she brought Windshear closer to me.

"Hiccup'll be fine down there." She says amid her glide and I nod.

"I know, I've just got this growing feeling of unease. Tell me you haven't noticed it? This place just feels wrong, quiet. Not the good quiet, like the calm before the storm." I say, glancing to her and she nods slightly.

"I feel it too, but I think that may just be this island. Even the Berserkers don't tread here often and we've never had boots on the ground, but we've also never flown over it with dragons, so." Heather replies and I sigh. I just couldn't shake the feeling, and soon I knew why. Amid the quiet surrounding the island, a crack was heard echoing from beneath us.

"You heard that, right?" I ask and she nods.

"Like a bolt of lightning from the island… you don't think?" She pauses and glances to me as my eyes widen.

"Hiccup!" I exclaim and dart Stormfly down towards the cavern entrance before I feel a wave of heat rush from the entryway and a subsequent explosion that literally blasts me off Stormfly's back. I'm lucky Heather is as quick on a dragon as she is with an axe as I feel Windshear's tail wrap around my leg. Stormfly flies back to me and I hop on her back as Heather points below us.

"The cavern entrance?" She pauses as my eyes trace down. It had been completely collapsed in on itself, there wasn't even enough room for a Cavern Crasher to funnel its way through.

"Hiccup!?" I exclaim. "Send the Distress Call!" I shout to Heather as I barrel Stormfly down. I feel the blast from Windshear behind me as I fire a volley at the collapsed entryway with little effect. I fire another volley, and another before I hear the sounds of the other riders approach.

"Astrid! What happened?" Fishlegs calls out as I turn and look to them, my face contorted with fear.

"Hiccup and Snotlout, they're trapped down there." Heather answers for me, by the mercy of Thor, for I couldn't put it to words.

"Alright, A. What do you want us to do?" Tuff asks seriously as I glance to him. He shrugs. "What? We gotta save our chief." He adds and I nod.

"I-I don't know. Stormfly's magnesium blast had no effect on it." I answer softly.

"Where's Eret and Valka?" Ruff asks, glancing around as I just notice they aren't back yet.

"Ruff, Tuff, send your distress call. They were scouting for other cavern entrances. Maybe they found one." I say, slowly trying to regain my composure. I needed too, for Hiccup's sake. He'd want me to remain strong even through the worst of it. The Twins grin as they send out the distress call for Barf and Belch, the Zippleback having arguably the largest one of everyone.

"We'll get them out of there." Heather says softly near me and I nod.

"I believe you." I answer.

"We just gotta hope the Snotman and Chiefly Haddock the Third survived whatever that was." Tuffnut says after the distress call as I shot him a glare.

"They survived." I state and see Tuff open his mouth again as I shake my head. "They survived. Unless you have a plan to clear this rubble, no talking. Let's get to work." I say and fly Stormfly down. It'd take a long time, but no task is insurmountable when the odds are like this. Her talons grabbing a boulder, we fly it off and drop it in the nearby swallowing sands. True to their name, the boulder slowly sinks in the sand as I fly back for another. The others starting to join me in my efforts and unwilling to argue with me, at least not without a plan. Hopefully, Valka and Eret found another entrance we can use otherwise.

"Do we know if this was a trap or accidental?" Dagur asks as I fly by him.

"Not sure. There was a loud crack under the ground, possibly Toothless. As I dove down to try to enter, I was hit with an enormous heatwave that was followed by an explosion that collapsed the cavern entryway." I explain and Dagur nods.

"Trap. Definitely a trap. That has murderous cut-throat written all over it." Dagur states through gritted teeth. "Why has Hiccup become easier to capture than when I was trying to do it? I still don't get it." Dagur asks rhetorically, probably trying to cheer me up as I shrug.

"Astrid, don't worry. We'll get them out, and we'll catch Krogan." Heather says nearby and I shake my head, sighing as I glance to Dagur.

"I'm past capturing him." I admit and Dagur pauses in flight and brinks Sleuther to bare in front of Stormfly. He has a genuinely concerned look on his face, as though he's talking to his sister.

"Astrid, I've walked the path of murder and death. It's not good; there are parts of myself I'll never recover. You and Hiccup both have shown such amazing restraint in the years to not end up like that. Don't give in now, you are better than that." Dagur says and I sigh, closing my eyes briefly and flying past him to grab another rock.

He was right, of course. Tempers flared when the ones you love were put in harms way, tricked into jeopardy, and cornered in the chaos. Like when Hiccup nearly slashed the Flyer when we thought the Sentinels of Vanaheim had been slaughtered. Or when Stoick nearly killed Savage after Hiccup was kidnapped. It's amazing the things we may do out of anger over acts of evil; does it make us as evil as the evildoers? Hiccup would argue so, and so would I. While I wanted nothing more than to run a pike through Krogan's head, to save Hiccup and permanently end these trappers once and for all; I'd do it the right way, the Hiccup way. He'd expect nothing less, and he would do the same for me. We've not had to sacrifice our ideals yet, for they are what separated us from the evil that lurked the dark corners of the archipelago.

My train of thought was derailed as the sight of Cloudjumper and Skullcrusher was seen in the distance, maybe they had better news. I'm not looking forward to telling Valka her son is trapped beneath the earth, but I will, as is my responsibility as his partner. And I'd find him, no matter the cost.


	38. Kill Zones

This wasn't going well, this is bad. No matter how many rocks we moved it felt like we weren't even making a dent. The islands that housed the Cavern Crasher or the Catastrophic Quakens were just too far to reach, it'd take days for help and with no access by ships, we could only use dragons. This had to be Krogan, it just had to be. He probably made Bashem too easy, left too much information to lure us out. It's like he was taking this new contract personally and instead of focusing on profit or power like before, he simply wanted Hiccup's head and anything leading up to that was a means to an end.

As Valka closes with Eret, she looks increasingly concerned by our frantic flying and moving of boulders as she reaches me. "Hiccup?" She asks in name only, but I knew her question and sighed.

"Him and Snotlout are… somewhere under that." I painstakingly answer as she lightly shakes her head.

"What happened?" She asks

"A trap most likely, think I heard Toothless's blast before an explosion that collapsed the entrance. No telling what happened but we're trying to clear the rubble and get inside." I explain and she shakes her head.

"That's not our only problem, I fear." She answers softly. "Come."

"Heather, with me. The rest of you keep digging. Eret, Skullcrusher can really be helpful with the rubble." I state and Eret nods.

"You got it, we'll save 'em, lass." Eret replies and flies back to help the others as Heather and I follow Valka. My eyes widened with anger and fear as several narrow ships approached from the west, towards the straight between the swallow sands.

"They knew?" I ask to no one in specific as Valka turns to me and shakes her head.

"Either that or its something else. Eret and I followed the straight and founds signs of a campsite with docks for ships hidden under a large rock formation, a perfect little harbor. We couldn't get inside but we suspect it has entrances to whatever underground tunnel Hiccup may be in." Valka says and my heart drops.

"They lured us here, knowing he would go investigate first and that we'd split our group, knowing they'd cut him off. How?" I ask, baffled.

"We underestimated their desire to get to Hiccup." Valka resigns and I shake my head.

"What's the plan, Astrid?" Heather asks and I wince. Plan, there was no plan at this point. Get them out alive and not let this happen again.

"Heather, take Windshear and go get Eret and Dagur. Fishlegs and the Twins will keep working on that rubble but tell them to listen for our distress call and tell them where this alcove is. We're going to hit this alcove and fight our way to them from this side." I state and Heather nods with a smile.

"You got it." Heather takes off and leaves me circling with Valka.

"You sure about this, Astrid? We don't know what they have under the formation. Could be another trap." Valka questions. "Not that I don't want to get to Hiccup."

"100%. We've taken on more ships than that alcove could hold, and in a confined area like that and our speed, as long as we go in fast and hard, they won't know what hit them." I state, I sounded sure, confident. I wasn't. I was sure we had to get to Hiccup and Snotlout before those trappers did.

"Good." She replies with a smile. Hearing that from her helped me feel more confident in my actions. Clouded by personal feelings though they may be, those are still two Riders and their dragons down there cut off from their friends and cornered by enemies who are purposefully trying to end their lives. From the air, we had superiority and I was confident that, while we would be at risk in our attack, we'd be at less risk and would be able to help them.

It wasn't long after that the trio returned and Dagur flew up next to me. "So, we're giving these trappers some Berserker love?" Dagur says with a grin and I smile.

"Let's give them enough that they don't come back." I retort and he gasps, glancing to Heather.

"Dear Sister, is she implying our hospitality is anything less than true berserker-ness?" He questioningly exclaims as Heather laughs.

"Okay, let's get ready. Dagur and Eret. You two will hit the ships, try to take out the lead ship and trailing ship in the straight, trap them between those and the swallowing sands then join us in the Alcove. Heather, Valka, we're hitting the alcove. Clear any decks, destroy the ramps and docks and search for caves. We'll fly together. Heather and I will be on Cloudjumper's wing as he's the largest." I state, glancing to the four and they nod. "Alright, let's go!" I call out and both Dagur and Heather do their Berserker Calls as we dive down.

Splitting apart, I can hear Dagur and Eret engaging the ships behind us as the shouts and sounds of ricocheting arrows and traps are sprung. Dagur's laugh is echoing as they go. Meanwhile, Heather, Valka and I dart low into the alcove and immediately fly under several nets launched towards us followed by arrows. They were ready for resistance, but they weren't ready for us.

The inner alcove of this formation was rather large, housing half a dozen ships and room for half a dozen more with tents layering the shoreline against the rock. This did seem like a real base, so maybe the information wasn't faulty they just anticipated us finding the cavern, not this alcove. They ended up giving it away themselves, and it was high enough for use to circle and avoid the masts.

Our first pass was swift and exemplified our anger at the situation as the decks were cleared almost completely on our initial sweep with several emplacements destroyed or set aflame with the sounds of dozens of trappers jumping into the water. Our next pass wiped out half their ramps using Stormfly and Windshear's spines and Cloudjumper's massive strength, stranding those on their ships from their camps and those on the ground from their ships. There were many more men on the ground but fortunately they hadn't built many emplacements or the like on the shore, relying on those on the ships.

Layering the tents with a magnesium blast with the other two dragons, we laid to flame the tents on our fly by and found several deeper cavern entrances. The larger one on the northern side of the alcove was the best bet, seemingly leading towards the north where the other entrance was located. Dagur and Eret joined shortly thereafter and blew up a few more emplacements we missed as I point towards the cavern.

"That one! Eret, Valka, and Dagur, stay here and keep them on their heels and off our backs!" I call out and we dart down the larger alcove. They had the larger and more powerful dragons; they could keep these trappers busy if not completely decimate them by themselves. We'd catch up and save Hiccup and Snotlout, Thor have mercy they were still save. We hadn't heard any other dragon blasts, but this island was pretty large and depending on how deep they went, we'd be hard pressed to hear anything. That and the cavern entrance was dark, making me wish either Toothless or Hookfang were with us, we could use their abilities to see. Though, Stormfly answered the darkness by a low burn as we flew into the darkened cavern.

There were empty cages and barrels and crates littering the area and certain signs of recent traffic. Though dark, there were lit torches every fifty feet or so that provided enough ambient light as well as the growing sound of commotion up further ahead. And one of Toothless's blasts; there it was, that was it. Stormfly knew and kicked her speed into gear as we barreled down the passage with Heather close in tow.

*********************************

This cave was absolutely riddled with barrels and crates, empty metal cages and more. They've been here awhile and planned on staying, or at the very least, not cleaning up after themselves.

"I think we should revisit what the twins said about there being a fine for littering." Snotlout exclaims as we fly down, Toothless sending out his sonic wave as Hookfang ignites, giving us light.

"Yeah, then we'd need to enforce it and that just leads to a whole new world of trouble." I retort with a smile as Snotlout shrugs.

"This cave is massive, how far down do you want to do?" Snotlout questions and I shake my head with a shrug.

"Not sure, let's go a little further. We'll see if we can—SNOTLOUT LOOK OUT!" I call out as a large metal net envelopes Hookfang from a carved-out indent in the wall, sending him to the ground as we suddenly being pelted by arrows from seemingly all sides. Toothless launches a volley of plasma blasts as we double back and grab the metal net off Snotlout and Hookfang before anyone can stop us and they take to the air.

"Let's go!" I call out and Snotlout is already flying with me back the way we came. Looking ahead, I see a glowing residue connecting to the barrels and crates that had been littered and in what feels like slow motion; I watch them explode ahead of us. "DIVE!" I call out and both our dragons hit the ground as the explosion rocks the cave and sends a trail of explosions back towards the mouth of the cave. Toothless and Hookfang doing their absolute best to dodge falling debris, forcing us back to the crossfire as the way behind us is being filled entirely with rocks. We were hundreds of feet inside the cavern, there's no way we could dig ourselves out.

We find a small indent in a curve of the tunnel and duck inside, barely avoiding the falling debris as it finally subsides.

"This was a trap! We're trapped, Hiccup!" Snotlout exclaims and I nod.

"Just wait." I say, pausing and he glares at me which I ignore.

"Wait for what, them to come to us!? The only way back is through that fricken shooting pen. What's your plan?" Snotlout retorts, crossing his arms. "It's not like we can just fly through all that."

"Snotnot, that's it, that's exactly what we do." I state with a smile and his baffled expression still brings me joy.

"What? Did you take a rock to the head?" Snotlout asks, semi-seriously.

"Look, they had to get in here some other way. They don't have dragons, they must have a base here. A base that connects to the other side of this network of caves. The cave in is meant to corner us, right? Problem is, we aren't cornered. Unlike these guys, we have dragons, and dragons can see really well in the dark. We fly dark, get to the other side of the kill zone, blast them from behind and get out." I explain and his expression goes from baffled to a grin.

"Okay, I get why you're chief. I love it." Snotlout replies and I nod with a smile. "Hey, did you bring a stash of Nightmare Gel?" He asks as I turn my head, briefly confused before I nod and smile.

"Why indeed I did, Snotlout. Got an idea?" I ask. Snotlout didn't always have ideas, and when he did, most of the time were bad. But on occasion, he had real gems of ideas.

"Go with me on this; we use a rag, stuff the top and light it. Toss it at the emplacements as we fly by and when the jar shatters with the flaming rag, it ignites all the gel." He says with a mischievous grin and I stand back, genuinely impressed.

"Wow, that's actually a pretty good idea. I'm surprised we never thought of that back on the edge. Only one problem, the flame would give us away." I state and his shoulders drop as he nods.

"Good point." He sighs and I place a hand on his shoulder.

"Still, that's brilliant, and I think I know where that could be helpful. Let's prep the gel jars, then focus on getting to the other side." I say and he nods, we each had a pair of them, so that's four total and we always carried a rag to wipe our dragons down. A nice slice from Hookfang and we had a pair of small rags in the jars ready to go. Not that we'd use them to start but the idea was fascinating.

"Alright, remember, we're flying dark and silent. Get to the other side at all costs, out of the kill zone. We'll fly together." I state and Snotlout pauses.

"Uh, Toothless is way faster, you know. You could get to the other side easier." Snotlout adds and I shake my head.

"Not risking you getting caught alone. Let's go." I state once more, ending the discussion. I've never left anyone behind, even with Toothless's speed, and I wasn't going to start now.

Mounting our dragons, we hear movement and see torches up ahead. I snap my finger and get Snotlout to look towards me and point up. We'll fly as close to the ceiling as we can to avoid the torches. Less maneuverability but we can also glide, less wing flapping means less noise. We both launch and aim high in the cave, our initial burst so fast and silent we completely glide over a group of trappers walking towards where we just were with crossbows and torches. There was another group up ahead that was larger. Taking the moment between groups, we got another flap in and kept gliding over them. I had been watching for Krogan, and sure enough, there he was.

I swear, Krogan had an extrasensory to him as he looked up and quickly shouted. "Above us!" And hurled his large hammer-axe towards Toothless's underbelly. Flipping quickly with my shield in hand, I feel its impact send waves through my body as I grab one of the gel jars.

"Snotlout, Now!" I yell and ignite Inferno, using it to ignite the jar and drop it over Krogan's larger group as Snotlout does the same. They did exactly what I expected them too, they tried shooting at the jars which they hit, and only cause the gel to spread over a larger area after igniting, causing them all to run for cover.

"Excellent!" I call out. "Let's go!" We kick it into gear and approach the kill zone that forced us back the first time. It was well lit, but we were fast and had no intention on slowing. There were nets launched, men screaming and arrows flying the moment they spotted our dragons on the ceiling, but our angle made it challenging for them to aim due to the stalactites on the ceiling, with at least one net hitting another emplacement as we heard them call out in anger.

Diving through, we didn't stop and continued on. The killzone was easily a hundred feet long with dozens of men and emplacements. They had been planning this trap for a while, to bad for them, we weren't going to make it easy for them. Together, dodging everything by staying high and only flying faster, we made it to the end of the killzone and immediately landed, turning around.

"Shoot the stalactites!" I call to Snotlout and together we unleash a volley of fire at the stalactite above and watch them crumble. "They wanted to give us a cave in, we'll give them our own." I state with a grin. My grin is short lived as I hear commotion behind me and another large group with crossbows pointed at us.

"Surrender!" One of the men calls out as the rocks fall behind us.

"What now, Hiccup?" Snotlout says through gritted teeth as I shake my head. Too many crossbows trained directly on us, we'd never make it straight past them. Toothless's ear twitches as I glance to him.

"What is it, bud?" I whisper and he coos and nods past the men and seconds later, I see the silhouettes of a Nadder and Razorwhip before the men are fired upon from behind. "Fire!" I call out and we both engage with our resourceful friends.

"Hiccup!?" I hear Astrid's voice amid the firing as the men scatter.

"Astrid! We're here. Let's go!" I call out and we take off, Stormfly and Windshear pulling a hard u-turn and leading us out. The tunnel was impressively long even for dragons flying at maximum safe speeds but still, moments later we emerged in an alcove. I could see Dagur, Eret and Valka laying absolute waste to what must've once been a camp as countless men dive into the water to avoid the fires.

"Brother!" Dagur exclaims, "Son!" my mother adds, "Chief!" Eret yells, all at the same time.

"Let's make sure these guys never want to come back here." I say and glance to Snotlout. "Care to show them your idea?" I say, taking one of the gel jars and he grins.

"Oh, you are so gonna love this, guys." He exclaims and together, we ignite them and fly over a pair of boats not yet fully aflame and toss them down. The Nightmare Gel seeping between the cracks of the wood as it ignites and sends the deck into flames.

"How did we never think of that?" Astrid asks, baffled.

"I asked the same question, but I like it. Alright, gang, let's get out of here. Where are Fishlegs and the Twins?" I ask and Astrid shrugs with a smile.

"Moving rocks on the other side of the island. We didn't know how deep the cave in was so." She explains and I shake my head.

"It was deep, it'd take a pair of Quakens to get through that rubble. Let's go get them and go home. This base is toast." I state and Dagur pulls up close to me.

"Krogan?" He asks and I nod.

"He was down there, but Snotlout and I gave him a cave in of our own." I explain.

"So, he's dead?" Eret asks and I shake my head.

"I doubt it, honestly. We'll be on guard, just in case. This place is too unstable to stay and too many loose arrows in that cave. Let's get back to Berk and call it a day." I state and Astrid smiles and nods.

"I like the sound of that. Let's go." She adds and I smile. We collect our trio of riders in the north of the island and head back to Berk to rest. That had been a disaster averted but now I had to wonder how many traps like that they had, and how they knew our plans.


	39. Regrouping

We land back at Berk as the sun begins to settle around the horizon, all of us weary and on edge from the trap we just sprung and nearly lost too. It was a good trap but luckily, we were better. The twins hadn't stopped asking Snotlout about his flaming gel jar idea which had us amused most of the way back, though Astrid was notably quiet and flying close to me.

"Okay, okay, how about, MonMare Gel Bombs. Ya now, Monstrous. Nightmare. Gel. Bombs. That has a nice ring, right?" Tuffnut suggests.

"If only we could think of something to put in there with it to make it explode AND leave a gellacious fire!" Ruffnut adds

"Excellent idea, Sister Nut. Snotlout, we require the use of one Hookfang for our experiments!" Tuffnut continues and I shake my head with a smile. These guys were insane but had random strokes of brilliance it was hard to keep track which was which.

"Uh, no. Hookfang's Gel is mine. Go get Gustov!" Snotlout exclaims and the twins' shrug.

"Sure, if you want Gustov to have the credit then fine." Ruff suggests as Snotlout shakes his head with bewildered eyes.

"No way, this was my idea! Fine. I want dinner first." Snotlout resigns and the twins high five.

"Academy after dinner, Brother Snot!" Tuff exclaims and he audibly groans and flies towards his hut. The twins follow suit to theirs.

The rest of us land at the academy initially anyways to offload our gear and no sooner did I get off Toothless did I feel Astrid in a near crushing embrace; her head buried in my shoulder as I wrap my arms around her waist and gently hold her there. I glance up to Heather and Dagur who nod and Heather ushers everyone else out quietly, leaving us alone in the academy.

"We're okay." I whisper to her and she nods.

"This time. I should've been there. I-I was scared. It really felt like I could've lost you if we were any slower." She admits softly and I smile, holding her tightly.

"So was I. We're always okay, we have each other. It's you and me." I reply and she pulls back and smiles.

"Always." She teases and adds with a shrug. "Corny?" And I laugh lightly.

"Good callback. Reassuring though." I reply, pulling her in and kissing her softly on the lips for a long drawn, tender kiss with our embrace. Pulling slowly apart, she rests her head back on my chest as we stand there for a moment. I feel her sigh.

"I never thought I'd be the one to say this, but why is a time of peace so much to ask for? It's not fair, to enjoy each other's presence in the night and fear for each other's lives during the day. One crisis after another… it's just… exhausting." She says softly and I nod slowly.

"This time is different than before, they aren't just after dragons, they're making decisive efforts to remove us from the field." I add and she shakes her head.

"Not us, you. The Chief of Berk, the Dragonmaster. Your choices have led to their humiliation and defeat countless times over the years, Krogan specifically." She states.

"Krogan very nearly killed me with Johann when Viggo tricked me into helping him. It was Viggo that actually stopped him. The whole thing may have been a ruse, but had Viggo been unable to stop Krogan then…" I say, my voice dropping as I feel Astrid shaking her head.

"Can we just not. I can't, and don't want to imagine a world without you in it. What they don't realize is attacking you is attacking all of us. Everyone on Berk has your back, Hiccup." She says softly. "And I'll always be by your side." She finishes and I smile.

"That's what keeps me confident, you are what keeps me going, I couldn't do this without you, Astrid." I respond and her embrace tightens.

"Good, because I was not confident, I was making the right decision to attack their alcove… I'm glad we did, glad I followed my instincts. At the time, I was worried I was letting personal feeling interfere with my reasoning." She admits and I nod slowly.

"Those are what set us apart from men like Krogan. We care for each other, as a group, as a people. No one is expendable. Is it a weakness that can be exploited, sure, sometimes. But it is also a strength, as you proved. Berk is lucky to have you, and so am I." I say, kissing her lightly on the forehead as I see her smile.

"Can we just stay like this for a while?" She asks softly, tightening her embrace and I chuckle softly and nod.

"No place I'd rather be." I answer with a smile, running my hands slowly up her back as she just sighs. She was more shaken by Krogan's attempt than she was letting on, not that I minded, any excuse to just be with her and hold her was enough for me to be at peace. We stayed like that for what felt like an hour but was closer to half that, both our dragons nestled around is. It was long after that when people started filtering back to the Academy. We had not even gone to eat yet, but some things were more important, and this was one of those things. When we heard the first pair of dragons flying in, we broke our embrace slowly and smiled. Dagur and Heather were the first to return.

"So, want to tell us more about this trap?" Dagur asks and I nod, standing apart from Astrid now but still close enough to feel her arm brush against mine.

"Let's get everyone here, so we can all be briefed. Dagur, I know you aren't with us permanently, but when you go back to Berserk, I'd like to ask you and Heather to do quick flybys of Swallow." I explain and he nods.

"That was my plan, brother. But we have other news." Dagur adds, glancing to Heather.

"I'll be staying with the Riders until Krogan is dealt with permanently, I won't feel at peace knowing he's out there. After that, I plan to train Berserker Islands' own Rider unit." Heather explains and Astrid and I glance between each other and smile.

"Sounds good to us. We're glad to have you." I state and Astrid nods.

"And I feel bad for anyone who goes against a Berserk Dragon Riders. You'll be an excellent leader." Astrid adds and Heather smiles. Shortly thereafter, my mother, the twins, Snotlout and Fishlegs all rejoin us with the twins still suggesting applications for the newly named MonMare Gel Bombs. Eret came shortly after. Gustov and Spitelout joined us as well to listen in.

"Alright gang, now that everyone's here, here is what we've discovered. These trappers are employing the same level of brutality and ruthlessness they did back beyond the Edge after Krogan took over. Krogan had the entire tunnel system rigged to explode and collapse on anyone, trapping inside with several kill zones of nets, arrows, and bolas. The idea was the crossfire would be so immense that it'd take us down if we went any slower than full speed." I begin and glance briefly at Astrid before sighing.

"They are taking more concerted efforts to actually killing me, and, I imagine, any one of us. We've caused them enough grief, it seems. Now, Krogan was down there and very nearly hit Toothless and I with his Bardiche-style axe. The Gronkle-Iron Shield kept us safe." I state and feel Astrid's hand link into mine. I hadn't mentioned that part yet to her.

"We need to come up with strategies Krogan has never seen, he's too familiar with our tactics. I expect every base to have decoys and traps rigged to them, and if Krogan survived the cave in then he'll only be more dangerous." I finish.

"We should go back and investigate Swallow tomorrow, see what changed since our raid." Eret adds and I nod.

"We will. I also want to see if we can find proof of Krogan's body or not. I want everyone's serious mind in action here; ideas, floor is open." I finish and glance to Astrid with a smile as I tighten my grip around her hand to reassure her. We spent much of the next hour bouncing various ideas, many of them horrible, some of them decent and a couple absolutely brilliant. We would be ready for the next time, and these trappers wouldn't know what hit them.

*********************************

Maybe I was more shaken than I thought I'd be, it could've been the fact they predicted our movements which made me feel insecure about our tactics. Though we were remedying that with our planning now, it could also have been that, as much as I tried, I struggled with keeping it business as usual. Knowing there was a direct desire for his life, knowing that our enemy knew us and was as ruthless as Drago and nearly as cunning as Viggo. Even with his overconfidence, he won nearly as many engagements with us back beyond the Edge as he lost.

I'd not lose Hiccup to that madman, nor anyone. It was selfish, sure, but it was as much for me as it was for our people and dragonkind. Hiccup was changed the lives of his entire people, positively, without force or aggression. He leads by example, never asks anyone to do anything he isn't willing to do himself, never purposefully puts people in harm's way and always finds a better path. He's arguably the best thing to happen to Berk in four centuries, to the dragons, and he certainly is to me. I know he doesn't see himself that way, but there are many of us who do.

"Alright, I like where this is going. Snotlout, Gustov, I need you two to harvest as much gel as safely as possible from your dragons. Everyone will fly with at least two of those. Everyone else, get some rest, we're going to spend an extended period of time at Swallow tomorrow, combing the island. We'll leave in the morning, everyone meet here for one last huddle at first light." Hiccup states and everyone nods as we slowly break, Heather pulls me to the side.

"Hey, Astrid. I know I'm staying with you guys, but if you want, I can make myself scarce; give you two some alone time." She states as I feel my face flush as I shake my head.

"No, what? Why? You're more than welcome at our home." I state and she smiles, nodding but narrowing her eyes.

"You know what I mean, Astrid." She retorts and I laugh lightly and shrug.

"You're fine, and yes, I do know what you mean. We, uh, have a few escape spots we can use if we need too." I say rather sheepishly. Heather was different and I didn't mind talking about private things with her as much but still, it was odd to talk about.

"Well, take it from me, you both need to escape tonight. You were both pretty shaken up and only really looked better when you were together. I understand you need to be able to operate independently, but this is a different kind of threat. It's complicated, your situation." She says and I nod, scoffing.

"Tell me about it. We're both supposed to stay business as usual but now that is even harder. I mean, I thought it was tough when we first started with Viggo but.." I say with a sigh and feel her put her hand on my shoulder.

"Trust me, I understand. I honestly expect this to get worse before it gets better, we have to stay on guard or risk everything." She adds and I nod.

"You don't need to tell me that, I'm just hoping our efforts to save the dragons doesn't cost us more. I pray to Thor we all make it through this, we've survived so much, all of us, our dragons. We've done so much good and it's like none of it mattered." I state.

"It did matter, it's when we stop trying, stop fighting that it doesn't." Heather adds and I smile.

"Girl, I'm glad you're here, really." I say and hug her as she smiles and hugs back.

"I've got your back, and Hiccups. Anything you guys need; you were there for me when it really mattered and I'll be there for you. Now, go and get that escape. Who knows what tomorrow will bring and every moment counts." She says and I smile.

"Have you given any more thought to your own suitor?" I tease and she shakes her head and shrugs.

"Not really. I'm sort of content being alone, I'm used to it." She answers and I can hear the sadness in her voice as she says that.

"Hey, you've been afraid to trust people your whole life. That doesn't mean you can't learn too like you did with us, or Dagur. Don't close yourself off to it, just cause Fishlegs isn't open anymore doesn't mean there aren't great people out there for you." I add and she smiles.

"Thanks, Astrid. Now get outta here, he's waiting for you." Heather states and nods her head behind me. It's just the three of us now and Hiccup is meandering and checking things that don't need to be checked on Toothless's saddle while Stormfly sits next to them. The sight honestly makes me laugh lightly with a genuine smile. "You two are a great couple." She adds as I nod and smile. We really are. Walking over to him with his back to me, I wrap my arms around him, so they lock around his chest as he grunts in surprise and tenses before relaxing after realizing it was me, his hands cupping mine.

"Ready to go home?" he asks as I rest my head on his back and close my eyes for a second and shake my head.

"I actually had something else in mind." I whisper as he rotates in my grip and wraps his own arms around me, my head now against his chest.

"And what would that be?" He says softly, moving one of his hands to brush my hair as I bite my lip and look at him and shrug.

"How about you show me more of the forge, I had some ideas about things you could… add to it." I tease and his lips curl into a smile as his hand tips my chin and he leans in, kissing me tenderly, gently, as if our lips could only barely touch. It was enough to make me want more.

"I'd love to hear those ideas, let's go." He answers against my lips as I smile, rolling my eyes playfully as I pull back.

"Might have to skip dinner though." I suggest and he shakes his head.

"I'd rather eat something else anyways." He retorts softly and I couldn't fight the smile that creased my lips as my legs shifted slightly.

"Good, me too. Let's go." I whisper, leaning up and pecking him before breaking the embrace and glancing behind, Heather had since left, and I didn't even notice.

"Problem?" He asks at my pause.

"Just something Heather said, she claims to be content being alone, but she isn't. And I know that now, I couldn't go back to being without you. We should revisit trying to match her later." I suggest and he nods.

"I agree. I don't think anyone should have to be alone, and I certainly couldn't after everything I've come to know with you. You complete me, Astrid. Without you, I don't know where I'd be." Hiccup answers, making me smile.

"And you, me. Let's finish this conversation at the forge." I say, looking back at him and visibly showing him as I lick my lips, causing him to grin and nod.

"Let's. Wanna race?" He suggests and I nod.

"Winner choice?" I suggest and he nods, smiling. With that, we hop on our dragons and take off towards the Forge. Hiccup was totally faster, and we both knew it, and neither of us were surprised when I got there first. I was right, this was quickly becoming my favorite room on Berk.


	40. Positions in the Forge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

Our dragons were becoming accustomed to the amount of private time Hiccup and I had been spending with each other in recent weeks, which was fortunate for us as we had no intention on slowing down. Entering the Forge together, Hiccup moved to light the furnace to give us some heat and I locked the door behind us and turned around, leaning against it as he was walking back to me. I bit my lip and looked over to him and smiled.

"So, I think it was winner's choice, wasn't it?" He suggests, kissing me lightly before running his lips down my neck and eliciting a light moan before pulling back. "Tell me, what is your choice, Milady?"

"I was thinking…" I pause, walking over to a corner of his small workshop where a mostly empty table sat. "That right here would be perfect for a small bed, you know, for emergencies." I tease with a smile and he nods.

"I can see that. Make it small and collapsible, that way I pull it out only when we need it." He answers playfully and I nod.

"Something to work on during our next day off from scouting perhaps. But in the meantime" I pause, turning to face him and pressing my finger against his chest. "Winner's choice to start, we're both far too clothed. Lose the cloths, lay on your back and close your eyes." I state and he smiles.

"Is my General ordering the Chief of Berk around?" He retorts while taking off his clothing, slowly watching me as I remove my own.

"We can call it a training exercise with one rule." I playfully answer as I watch him lie down on his back and close his eyes. I could see the anticipation in him as his member was perfectly visible against the firelight and his naked body was already beginning to sweat from the heat. I slowly walk around him and stand over his head, just gazing at him for a moment. "Rule is simple, whoever finishes first loses. Winner decides what comes next." I add, smiling and looking down at him.

"Works for me, and, uh, not that I mind, but how long am I to lay like this?" He asks as I smirk, dropping to my knees so they rest on either side of his head and I sit back on my heels, his head in between by thighs as I look down on him with a smile.

"Okay, Hiccup, we're going to try something new. When I tell you, open your eyes and see if you can guess what I want. Don't speak though, just do it." I say softly, sitting over him as his head shifts lightly adjusting to the new location of my voice.

"At your leisure." He replies and I smile, sitting back up off my heels so that my own area is resting over his head, slightly adjusting my knees so I lower down gently and smile.

"Alright, babe. Can you guess what I want?" I say and while I can't see him open his eyes, I feel his arms wrap around my thighs and bring me closer down as he runs his tongue across my area, sending shivers up my spine as I gasp. "Mm, good guess." I stutter as he doesn't answer. Each stroke of his tongue making my legs shake just a little more as my eyes trace his body from his chest to his stomach to his groin where his stiff member lays, throbbing slightly. Biting my lip, I lean down and press my chest against his stomach as I grip his member while his own grip around my thighs lowers my hips even more.

This was a new position for us, where we could both please each other at the same time, and I relished in it as he never slowed down with his tongue. Wrapping my lips around his member, I slide my fingers up and down on him as I pressed my head lower, taking more in my mouth than I had before. He had a smell and a taste, but neither were bad, it was honestly intoxicating and losing myself in our actions was easier done than said.

I feel my own hips begin to shake as I feel myself heat up and near an explosion, was he really going to beat me. Nope, I'd make him finish first, I was resolved. Lathering his member with my tongue as my grip increased its speed, my mouth bobbing deeper than before as I feel his member hitting the back of my throat. I could hear his muffled moans and could see his legs shake as his back slowly arched underneath my weight. My own was pressing down against him as my hips involuntarily grinding against his tongue, I was fighting it. I wanted to release and just erupt like this but trying to hold it made me feel even hotter, I wonder if he was doing the same thing, though I soon had my answer. I feel the thick, warm eruption blow in my mouth as I struggle to keep my lips wrapped around him. Swallowing what I could as I slow down and feel my own heat explode between my legs, taking away any sense I had left as my legs go completely weak and I feel his tongue diving deeper inside of me, tasting and enjoying all that I had. Sitting back up, I rode his face a little longer as I wasn't finished. I could feel my eyes roll back as I let loose a long breathless moan. When I finally finished, I let myself fall to his side, so we were each laying opposite each other, panting and trying to catch our breath. Wiping my own lips, I look over to him as he is looking to me with a lustrous smile.

"I liked that." He said amid a pant and I smiled.

"Me. Too." I answer between breathes. "Looks. Looks like I won, again." I say and he licks his lips and shrugs.

"Oh, no." He says playfully, getting up to his knees before laying on top of me, my legs involuntarily wrapping around his hips as he pins my hands to the ground. "Tell me, then. How can I please the winner this time?" He says softly and moves in for a kiss as I pause him.

"I still have, I mean, I swallowed-" I don't get to finish as he presses his lips to mine before pulling back and shrugging.

"Who cares. I don't. But, I do have water here." He adds with a playful grin. I shake my head and smile.

"Okay then, winner's choice, right?" I ask and he nods. "Sit back." I state and he nods as I release my leg lock and let him sit back, his member still rock hard which only makes me bite my lip in anticipating. Crawling to him, I sit on his lap, facing him with my legs locking behind him, pressing my forehead to his as I gently slide his member inside me until it is as deep as it can go, prompting an involuntary moan from both of us as I gaze at him, our faces flustered. "This is one of my favorites so far." I whisper, grinding my lip slowly as he leans in and gently bites my lip.

"And why's that?" He asks against my lips, releasing them before kissing down my neck and biting softly around my neckline, making my moan and my breath hitch.

"Cause I-" I gasp as I feel his member throb within me, my nails running down his back as his bites my neck. "Because I get to see you and feel all of you." I answer breathlessly as he releases my neck and returns my gaze. There was no secret in his eyes, nor in mine. We both only wanted one thing, longed for one thing, needed just one thing; each other, like this. I feel his hips kick up, thrusting his member fully inside me prompting me to yelp in a pleasant alarm. Feeling him fill me entirely, my own muscles contract as he slips in like a sword to a sheath was amazing. I feel his lips press against mine as my eyes refocus to his. Smiling against his lips, I allow my eyes to close and lips to part as our tongues begin their dance once again. I could taste myself on his tongue, and the thought of the taboo as we have long forgone traditional sexual practices to embrace a whole new realm together.

*********************************

I was by no means disappointed with Astrid's choice as the winner, and I'd have no problem with her winning every time. If, for no other reason, than I just enjoyed pleasing her, making her happy, hearing her moan and feeling her tremble from my touch was enough to drive me wild. There was another thing to it, though. With Astrid, locked in this room where it was just us and what we were doing for each other, I wasn't making decisions as a Chief, or as the leader of the Riders. I was making decisions as a lover with but one goal, the pleasure of my partner. The simplicity in that let me forget everything else but her, for in these moments when our bodies were intwined and pressing together, our breathless pants impacting the sweat of our skins, it was as though nothing else existed. Floating in the sky with not even a dragon beneath me, just Astrid intwined with me.

I'm not sure we intended on even going home this night, because neither of seemed to want to break our embrace. Her hips grinding against mine as her legs locked behind my back and our lips pressed together. A passionate exchange of tongue dances amid our grinding bodies as I let my hands trace her beautiful body. We were both toned from our years of dragon riding and our endurance really shined during nights like this when, even while barely able to keep our breath and unwilling to break a kiss, our pace never faltered.

I feel her pull her lips back as she increases her grinding against my hips. She was close, I could tell by her moments and her pressure, her muscles contracting around my member making her area tighter as I continues to thrust my hips up into her. Seeing her moan, her eyes roll back as I found a new depth and filled her with each thrust was so satisfying. She passionately presses her lips to mine again as her nails dig into my back.

"Winner's choice, again?" She says breathlessly against my lips, pressing them back against mine as our faces are absolutely flustered. This was pure passion, lust, desire; and one of the many things I loved about Astrid.

"Absolutely." I respond against her lips before my tongue fingers her again and I my hands lock behind her back, pulling her down as my thrusts continue pressing up. I feel myself about to explode but was fighting it as hard as I could. I feel her leg lock grow weak behind me as her hips shake and she lets out a long moan into my mouth before our lips break and she bites into my neck, her fingers running up my back as she presses down hard against my upward thrusts. I feel her contracting tighter and tighter around my member as I release as well, erupting and filling her up on the inside. I was so glad she had taken that herb and we could do this together as both our hips and legs shake together.

"I-I think you won." She pants against my neck and I smile.

"Maybe it was a tie." I retort, kissing her neck as her grip on my back tightens, her muscles tightening harder against my member as I throb within her, our pace nothing more than a mere rock as it calms down. I feel her shake her head and moan as I bite her neck.

"You won that one, trust me." She says in a near whimper as its followed by a light moan, making me smile as my tongue traces the bite marks, I laugh lightly.

"We may need to start being careful, can't afford to let the others see the bite marks." I tease, biting her again as she moans again. Her entire body was sensitive to my touch and that just made me want to do more.

"It-it was winner's choice, wasn't it?" She says, her voice telling me she had barely regained her breath as I nod; she had ignored my comment entirely, not that I minded.

"I know what I want." I whisper against her neck and feel her tremble in my embrace as she kisses my neck softly.

"And what would that be?" She whispers as I lean forward, kicking my feet to either side of me as I lay her on her back, now looking into her beautiful sapphire-like eyes.

"You." I say simply, and run a finger down inbetween her breasts, kissing her softly on the lips as she gasps. "Now you just lie back and enjoy yourself." I whisper and she smiles as my hand reaches her area. I gently massage her opening, now sliding a finger in as her legs involuntarily open wider and she moans.

"Hi-Hiccup." She murmurs, as I kiss her lips again.

"Winner's choice here is to spend all night with you, just like this. Together, exploring and pleasing each other until our bodies can barely move." I whisper and she bites her lip, nodding. "You're already sensitive to the touch." I add and I can see her cheeks blush as I smile, kissing her again passionately. "I like knowing I do this to you, Astrid."

"You do, you make me feel…" She begins to answer but is interrupted as I gently slide a finger inside her, her back arching as she moans. "You make me feel.." She tries again as I lower my lips to her nipples, wrapping them around one and lathering it with my tongue as I slip a second finger inside her, causing her to moan again as she runs her hands down my back. "You make me feel free, special… ahh" her breath hitches as I listen, her legs shaking already from the sensitivity as my fingers slide in and spread apart, exploring her inside as my thumb massages her opening. My lips sucking and kissing her nipple before moving onto the next one. "Already… almost…" she whimpers under her breath, her head rocking back as I increase my fingers pace and allow my free hand to massage her breast as my lips and tongue caress and suck on her other breast. "Ah, Hi-Hiccup. Yes. Mmm" She says, stifling another moan as I hear the wet between her legs as my fingers don't slow down, her legs trembling as her attempts to stifle the moan fail and she erupts, her hips rocking uncontrollably as her breath hitches and I feel her hands grab my shoulders. Pulling me up and down, she presses her lips to mine and our tongues lock together as I leave my fingers where they are, now gently massaging her as our lips part.

"I love your pillow talk." I whisper and she smiles, shaking her head as we both roll onto our sides, my hand still between her legs as her hand slides to my member and slowly begins massaging it.

"Yeah, you really got lucky." She teases with a knowing smile and I nod, smiling back.

"Yes, yes I did. I couldn't be luckier. Here I am, the Hiccup of the tribe, lying with the most beautiful and intelligent and, by the gods, I can't even list off everything amazing about you, Astrid." I sheepishly admit and she just smiles, leaning closer and kissing me softly.

"I'd not trade this for anything, Hiccup. We're good together." She says and I slide my fingers out, sliding it up her chest and pressing it to her lips as she takes it in her mouth and smiles. Sliding my finger out of her mouth, I slide it in mine and taste her before wrapping my arms around her and pulling us close, so our bodies are pressing fully against each other.

"Yes, we are, Astrid." I whisper, pressing my forehead to hers and just looking her in the eyes. "I'd not change anything about us, about this right here. My only regret is that I can't freeze time and stay like this with you, forever." I finish and she smiles.

"I agree. But we can go until we can't anymore. We should really find a way to take a week-long vacation, think Berk would burn down if we both vanished for a week?" She suggests and I laugh, shaking my head.

"Eh, probably not. My mom can cover for me, Gobber and Eret too." I state, thinking on it briefly and nodding. "I'll make you a deal, the moment we deal with Krogan, we're taking that week. Maybe we can sneak back to the Edge, just us. Far enough that no one will just be able to fly to us, and there were a couple small springs on that island." I suggest and she smiles, pressing her lips to mine lightly before nodding.

"Where we go doesn't matter, just so long as its just us, together." She replies softly with a light smile.

"Always." I add, kissing her gently. "Corny?" I ask, pulling back, remembering that time we were flying in the storm. She just shakes her head.

"Not this time, not here. Perfect." She whispers and presses her lips to mine again, rolling on top of me. Pillow talk seemed to be done for the moment, not that I minded as I felt the pressure build inside my member again as she started grinding against it, her lips still to mine as our tongues danced and our sweaty bodies pressed together. We still had some passion within us, and we were going to go until we couldn't move anymore. This little forge room was becoming a favorite of mine for reasons I never anticipated but wouldn't change for the world.


	41. Return to Swallow

We ended up staying at the Forge well into the morning, drunk in each other's presence. If there was such a thing as overdoing it, we didn't understand the concept. For us, spending the waking day and restful nights with each other meant everything to us; our time apart was by necessity. She had my back since we were children, albeit she was a bit rougher around the edges in our younger days, but she always supported me. Believed in me when no one else did, drove me to make the decisions that I made that lead us to where we are today. I've said it before, I'll say it again; I couldn't have done any of this without her.

Would I have still shot down Toothless, undoubtedly; what would have followed is an entire different future where I could've gotten away with my pre-mediated escape from Berk instead of killing the Monstrous Nightmare I'd later know as Hookfang. I was prepared to leave my people and my family behind for my beliefs and it was her that stopped me, that made me reconsider my path and come up with an alternative. That's what lead to the Red Death encounter, after that, everything changed for the better.

Lying with her in the forge, our naked bodies pressed together as the sweat from our actions sets in, our swallow breathing barely allowing our bodies to recover. We had gone until our muscles wouldn't move us anymore. Her legs had faltered, and she couldn't sit up, my own member lay partially limp, unable to stiffen after the time we spent. Still, now, laying like this was nearly as perfect as all that we had just done together. I know there are some Viking couples that don't center around intimacy, friendship and barely respect, but ours certainly did. Our intimacy, our friendship, our base respect for each other was the very core of our relationship. We didn't need alone time, and I honestly cannot imagine a time in my life where I would ever need it. Maybe after another challenging decision or struggle would I think I needed to be alone, but even in that situation, I didn't. I needed her, like always, and like before, she wouldn't let me suffer alone; nor I, her. So long as she believed in me, I would find a way, even if I didn't believe in myself.

While we were by no means ready for marriage, what with the trapper threat still looming, but my mind could not stop drifting to that next step in my life with her. Formally and officially declaring that we were together from then on until Valhalla and Beyond. The thought genuinely made me smile as I lay there with her in my arms, her light breath running across my chest as she lays partially on top of me with one of her arms outstretched over my chest.

"Have you slept?" I hear her voice whisper softly against my skin as I smile, running my hand up her back now that I know she is awake, prompting her to press closer, our bodies providing extra heat.

"A bit, just been thinking." I answer softly as I feel her lips gently press against my shoulder.

"About?" She asks

"You. Us. I'm just… happy. I don't know how else to say it." I reply, rolling onto my side to look at her, seeing her smile towards me as I press my lips against hers.

"I'm happy, too." She replies softly. "You should really try to rest before we go back to Swallow." She says, brushing my hair and nestling her nose into my neck, closing her eyes as she does.

"This is rest, it's perfect." I answer as I hear her softly moan a response, tightening her embrace as I close my eyes as well. We had a few hours yet til first light, and it seemed like we would spend them here, naked in each other's embrace.

We both ended up stirring just a little before first light, as we had become accustomed to doing. Outside the Forge there was a crisp cool like the winds carried the sea's cold temperature up to Berk. The ice from the Leviathan still present and resonating only made the winter weather worse, for now the average temperature on the island was far colder, especially in the early morning hours. Luckily my room in the Forge was well insulated, I had made it so that when I needed an escape from my father when he was trying to convince me to be chief, and I couldn't just ride out on Toothless, I had a place to hide and work. Gobber was aware of my little room, but never entered it on his own accord, I believe he genuinely respected my need for privacy. Adding a small bunk in here, maybe a small vat of water and another chest for spare cloths and honestly, Astrid and I may spend a lot more time in this little room than our house. Our house, yes, it was my house, but it was still our house. A part of me wanted to completely build a new home just for us, but that would wait til after marriage, I imagine.

Slowly, we rise together, our bodies still close as when we stand we embrace for a moment. The forge itself had long since died but the embers still kept the small insulated room warm. Grabbing a bucket and cloth, we wipe each other down slowly. I could tell we were each taking our time on the other, appreciating each other as we did. Afterwards, we suited up in our flight suits. Astrid's blue Nadder-Scale suit was exceptionally form-fitting and looked amazing on her; such to a point my eyes lingered longer than they needed too but she certainly didn't seem to mind as her lips pressed to mine. She and I were the only two with fully functioning dragonscale flight suits, Fishlegs was closer but he wanted to add things like a front-pouch to his, for reasons he wouldn't say. The twins were, ah, well, they were further along than Snotlout who still had several points without proper fire proofing. With as many times as Hookfang has set that guy on fire, you'd think he'd know to fire proof but it did make for entertainment for the rest of us.

When we opened the door from the forge, we were met with a sharp and brisk cold wind that cut across our faces; rounding the corner we found our dragons had taken refuge inside the main forge itself. Patting them down, we headed to the Great Hall to gather up a small bit of food then to the Academy where we spend the next thirty or so minutes going over plans between each other, before anyone else got there. Sometimes, the others had good plans and perspectives that were helpful but most times, it was Astrid's plan, or our combined plans, that ended up saving the day. Working on a board together, bouncing ideas off each other, no interruptions or side remarks, it was honestly enjoyable even if it was about a damnable task. Not long after, we had come up with a varied plan and the others started filtering into the Academy. Heather was the first to arrive and she shot both Astrid and I a knowing glance.

"So, where were you two last night?" She asks playfully as my face flushes and I turn back to the chalk board, ignoring the question with a light chuckle.

"Going over battle plans and training exercises, visited the forge to work on modification ideas too." Astrid retorts with a smile and I nearly choke at how accurately deceptive that is to reality. Modifications to the room in the forge, some training exercises as she called it last night, some plans. She could really spin her words almost as well as her tongue. I suddenly mentally slap myself for thinking like that with other people starting to filter in.

"Oh, hey, moving on. Other people are here." I exclaim with a light laugh, pointing as the others start filtering in. Heather rolls her eyes as Astrid pats me on the shoulder with a light laugh. She knew that made me feel awkward when they did that in front of me. After some coercion, everyone was sitting, or standing, in front of a pair of small fires with Astrid and I standing in front of a chalk board.

"Alright, gang. We know the mission and we don't know the terrain. We know the target and we don't know their numbers, but they do know to expect us. With that being said, we are not splitting up. We are going to systematically clear each area together, watching each other's wing. We'll be flying by threes. Eret, Astrid and I are Wing One, Fishlegs, Twins and Dagur are Wing Two, Snotlout, Heather and my Mother will be Wing Three." I explain.

"Our wings doesn't mean we're splitting up. We will when we have too, but if we don't we won't. Everyone will have two MomMare Gel Jars prepared and if you have your flight suit, wear it. This is the time to field test it." I state, pointing to how both Astrid and I were wearing our dragon-scale flight suits. "We're wings up in fifteen minutes. Our mission will be as follows." I begin.

"First, we're going to do an aerial recon of the collapsed mouth of the cave where Snotlout and I entered, then fly around the island to the channel on the west that leads through the swallowing sands. If those ships are still there, we will board and investigate them before sinking them completely. My wing will board. Wings Two and Three will maintain aerial oversight. Then we enter the alcove, carefully." I explain.

"Wing Three enters first, sweeps the initial entryway for traps, followed by Two then One. We'll clear any ships, then move into the caverns beneath the island. Flying high using the stalactites as partial cover from any traps. We'll go to the cave in where we dropped the roof on Krogan and investigate from there. Questions?" I ask and look around the room. There was, of course, a series of random questions from the twins and Snotlout that had largely little to nothing to do with the mission itself, but it is what it is. Shortly thereafter, we were up in the air. This mission had a different air to it, there weren't any jokes leading to Swallow like there was last time. We fly in our wing formations and even the twins had a serious face on this go round, as though even they were done with the threat of Krogan.

*********************************

It was continuously refreshing to see that even the twins were capable of being serious occasionally. Granted, that seriousness was usually as short lived as any humility Snotlout could ever muster, but it did exist and seeing it was reassuring. Thinking back to when we first formed the Academy, even I gave Hiccup a hard time on occasion, though I supported him more often than not. Snotlout was the rambunctious rebel and the twins were, well, almost the same as they are now. But watching them genuinely listen and pay attention during Hiccup's breakdown of the plan, even after fielding some of their crazy questions, made me feel a little better.

The flight to Swallow was short on the backs of dragons, especially given what we had learned in recent years. Flying in our wings, I was to Hiccup's right as Eret was to Hiccup's left. Dagur led the twins and Fishlegs while Valka led Snotlout and Heather. I made sure the Aux riders were keeping their shift going, and even noticed a few new Vikings walking with Gustov and Sven about joining the Auxiliary team. We may soon need a secondary Aux Team; a tertiary team.

We arrived at Swallow before too long and the mouth of the cave that collapsed on Hiccup was still collapsed. He had mentioned it was hundreds of feet long in terms of rubble, so there was no chance anything short of a major operation would ever be able to reopen that cave. Hiccup glances to me and I nod as we fly past it, not needing to waste any more time than required. Circling the Island Northwest to the western side, we spot the damaged ships on our initial flight; the ones destroyed by Eret and Dagur before still smoldering. Hiccup leads us around the island again, going from the south to the east then back across the north to the western channel. It took an extra couple minutes to do the full circle, but it helped ease the minds that there were no ships lying in wait.

Diving towards the ships, I counted two sunk in the rear, one sunk in the lead and another three jammed together in between them with no activity on the decks. It was quiet, very quiet. Almost too quiet. Hiccup gives us the signal to land and Eret and I follow him down as we land on the first of three ships. Arming up with his shield and dragon-blade, Inferno. Me with my axe and Eret with a pike, we slowly make our way down the deck. Inside, we find empty dragon cages, used supplies and some papers left in what was probably the captains' cabins. Hiccup takes the papers, and we hop to the next two ships finding them in a similar situation.

"They're completely empty?" I exclaim, glancing to Eret who shrugs.

"They were full of Trappers when we attacked them, I didn't see any dinghies so maybe they escaped through the channel." Eret suggests and Hiccup nods.

"Probably, or they made their way back into the alcove. Okay, Wing Three, High Alert. Breach the Alcove!" Hiccup calls out as Valka leads Snotlout and Heather with a crisp nod, diving inside the alcove. After a few seconds, Dagur leads the Twins and Fishlegs. Eret, Hiccup and I take a moment to sink the remaining ships in the straight by puncturing the hulls before following suit.

Inside we see three of the six ships that had been there before were sunk, the other three seemed barren with the ramps not remade. It's as though they completely packed up and left, but got out some other way. Glancing to Hiccup, I shake my head.

"Hiccup, this doesn't look right. How did they get out?" I ask and he shakes his head.

"I don't know. My first thought is Krogan is further along than I thought with capturing and harnessing dragons. He has the experience with the Singetails. The warlords may not know anything, nor have they seen anything through the Dragon Eye Lenses. Good thing is, if we can take Krogan out, it's a secret he likely hasn't shared." Hiccup states.

"Dragon Eye Lenses?" Eret asks on his wing and he nods.

"They were glass lenses that we still have for an artifact called the Dragon Eye that revealed all secrets of every known dragon in existence; even Drago's Leviathan. We destroyed the Dragon Eyes for fear they'd be misused by people like Krogan." Hiccup explains. We had the lenses safely locked away on Berk, only Hiccup and I even knew where they were and its no where anyone would think to look. Plus, only Hiccup could even remake a Dragon Eye, without that, the lenses were worthless.

"Alright, what's the plan?" Dagur calls out

"Dagur, take your wing and search these ships. When you're done, we're all heading into the cave. Look for papers, I found a few on the other ships." Hiccup calls back.

"You got it, brother!" Dagur replies and he, the twins and Fishlegs dive in.

It certainly was odd and made me feel like this entire place was about to explode. It was so quiet, still and ominous. Where had all of the trappers gone? Their supplies. They just vanished but left no footprints. Did they try to make it across the swallowing sands on foot and were lost to the Swallowing Sands? That's the most likely, logically and mentally appeasing, answer. The more likely was that Krogan survived somehow, and he had trained dragons that carried them out; but he considered his men expendable. Maybe he was contracted to care about these trappers.

Not long after did Dagur and the others emerge from the ships, all carrying some manner of parchment which they all flew to Hiccup who stored it in his little book. Hand motioning the other two wings to hold, Hiccup led his wing inside the cavern with the others following suit. He and I knew this cavern all too well, but so did Snotlout and Heather, which is why they were in the rear.

We found residue of traps, the remainder of bolas and arrows but no men. When we got to the Killzone where Hiccup and Snotlout were nearly pelted alive, we found it empty. Devoid of all life, though the emplacements were still there. We took a little extra time and demolished each emplacement just in case, but we found no signs of anything else.

"Alright, team." Hiccup states, landing Toothless as we all land in a circle around him. "We have a choice. This island is riddled with smaller caves connecting to this one in a large system. There is a chance that the hunters fled through these tunnels, but it'd take hours to search all of it even if we split up. Thoughts?" Hiccup asks as Dagur shrugs.

"I'll be frank, Hiccup. I think they left. Their trap failed, this island has zero strategic or tactical value. It's highly inaccessible by ship and barely accessible with trained dragons. They abandoned it and took what they could." Dagur states plainly and I actually agreed with him.

"I have to agree with Dagur, Hiccup. I can't see any reason they'd stay. This island is a death trap waiting to happen, it has no life on or under it, not even dragons call this place home." I state and he nods.

"Anyone else?" Hiccup asks

"I've got to agree with those too, Chief. Though, I'll add, I think that before we leave, we collapse the cave entryways behind us and do another cursory sweep of the island, collapsing any cave we find." Eret states as Dagur laughs.

"I like this guy, Hiccup. Uh, what was your name again and where did you come from?" Dagur asks as I stifle a laugh at his random shifts while Hiccup sighs.

"Oh, gods. Okay, later for that. For now, I agree. Let's return to the entryway of this cave and blow it. Twins, that's all you." Hiccup states.

"YES!" They exclaim together. "Do you feel this, sister? It's my heart rejoicing as our fearless leader finally gives us something to blow up!" Tuffnut states

"I know, brother!" Ruffnut adds as Hiccup sighs. I glance to Hiccup with and see a frown on his face.

"Hiccup, what's wrong?" I ask as the twins quiet down to listen.

"I just, don't know what to make of this. Krogan has become even less predictable than before. We really need to catch this guy, and fast." Hiccup states and I smile, moving Stormfly closer to him and taking his hand.

"We will." I say simply and he smiles weakly. "Let's collapse this cave system and get back to Berk. We have some papers to look at, don't we?" I say, trying to cheer him up. They were honestly probably nothing of importance seeing as they were left behind but that didn't matter. Hiccup nods with a smile and we all take off.

Expecting an ambush at the mouth of the cave, I don't know what was more surreal, that we weren't ambushed, or that we darted out expecting to be ambushed. Dagur hung with the Twins while they demolished the entryway while Valka took Snotlout and Heather and sunk the remaining ships and destroyed any remaining ramps. Following that, we all flew out together and circled the island half a dozen times in sequence. Fishlegs keeping track of our locations, we collapsed at an additional four entryways before the morning turned into afternoon and we decided to call it a day and return to Berk.

We left their with more questions than answers and a general sense of unease at Krogan's next move, but at the very least, we had confirmed we destroyed one of their main operating points in the southern part of the Archipelago. Next on the list was the island of Tomorrow, after we sift through the papers we found, that is.


	42. Desperation and Resolve

It seems as though they truly did leave in a hurry considering what they had left behind, though we're taking everything with a grain of salt. Krogan is searching for the Dragon Eyes, likely because he doesn't know Hiccup destroyed them nearly a year ago. He is also trying to rebuild his Flyer's unit but without the Deathsong's Amber to trap Singetails, it is proving much more challenging to capture dragons. The base at Swallow was exactly what it seemed to be, a storage location and a trap; meant to eliminate Hiccup or at the least, trap him underground permanently. When that failed, they packed up since like Dagur suggested, it wasn't strategic for trapping and took off. Likely carried off by what few trained dragons Krogan has at his disposal; he's no match for Berk, or even for the Riders directly. Right now, he has to rely on subversion and deceit to try and kill Hiccup.

That is what he has been hired to do, specifically. Hiccup is known as the Dragon Master throughout the Archipelago; the one who forged an ironclad treaty with both the Outcasts and Berserkers. The one who defeated the Red Death and Drago's Leviathan. Chief of the Hooligan Tribe and Friend to Dragonkind with his own Alpha, The Night Fury. He sounded larger than life when you heard it spoken about like that, but behind those titles and names was a humble and unimposing man with a heart of genuine gold.

"What do you think?" Hiccup says, holding the notes up to Eret and Dagur who both nod. Those two had gotten along swimmingly recently, starting out as nearly the same. Enemies of Hiccup that turned into stalwart allies.

"They look like communiques, we used to receive them on trapper ships. Each paper looks worn, the ink looks equally dated. If these were forged or meant to lure, someone went through a lot of trouble and time. See this one is dated before we knew about Krogan's involvement." Eret explains.

"I agree, I think they slipped up, honestly. In their rush to evacuate or be left behind, they left behind what they considered noncritical and didn't burn it. My guess is once you collapsed the tunnel on Krogan, there was an all call to get back to the cave, dig him out and leave before we returned. Even with their fortifications, they weren't ready for us which must've sent shockwaves through their forces." Dagur adds, taking one of the papers and holding it up. "This one concerns me though. Krogan is coming for you specifically, I heard about what happened when he was just a bounty hunter before he got totally involved with the Hunters. If he is hired to kill Hiccup, then there is no limit to what he will try." Dagur adds and looks directly to me.

"You will all need to be on guard, there is more than one way to trip up someone to making a potentially life ending mistake, especially someone who values those around him. Krogan seems desperate and out for revenge, and I would not put anything past him." Dagur adds which makes my heart sink as I nod.

"We'll be ready." I state simply, placing a hand on Hiccups shoulder.

"And they won't be alone." Fishlegs add, stepping closer to the table.

"He said it, we'll protect our magical leader. Not that he needs it, I mean, look at him. To this day, I do not understand how he just makes his flaming sword appear, or how he somehow always has a Terrible Terror nearby." Tuffnut adds as I laugh lightly and roll my eyes.

"We've established that Hiccup is a magical creature a long time ago, possibly sent by the gods themselves. At this point, I'd like to say we've seen 5% of his magical abilities." Ruffnut adds as Tuff shakes his head and grabs his hair with a wild look.

"Did I miss something?" Dagur asks and Hiccup shakes his head.

"Oh, just ignore those two. You've already been a great help, Dagur. I can't ask you to stay any longer, but I will send you an Air Mail should your aid be needed." Hiccup adds, extending his arm which Dagur takes.

"You know it, Brother. Plus, you'll still have a true Berserker riding with you, ain't that right, Sister?" Dagur adds, glancing to Heather who nods.

"Absolutely. I've got my own score to settle with Krogan, and I'll be damned if I let him get to Hiccup or anyone else." Heather replies with a zealous smile, glancing to me with a nod.

"Okay, then. On that, I'll be heading back to Berserker Island. I'll be flying to the Defenders first to pick up Mala." Dagur states.

"Maybe we can swing by sometime soon, to say hi to the Chiefess of the Berserkers?" I ask and Dagur laughs with a nod.

"Of course! My friends, you are always welcome on my island." Dagur states, clasping me on both my shoulders before moving to Heather and giving her a solid hug before taking off. I was skeptical at the time, but I'm glad I reserved my judgement and followed Hiccup's lead because Dagur had truly become one of our strongest allies.

"Alright gang, we have a couple options to consider. Many of them dangerous as these islands are largely unofficially charted due to violent or rather unfriendly inhabitants; and they are relatively uninhabited by local dragons due to their inhabitants either killing them or driving them off." Hiccup states as I sigh. We've had little run-ins with those around the Archipelago beyond the Berserkers and the Outcasts. The greater region in the south was inhabited by isolationists and after Drago wiped out the majority of their chiefs besides Stoick, they had been in shambles rebuilding.

"I much prefer dealing with Dragons than actual people." Tuffnut retorts

"Yeah, people suck. Every time we meet a new tribe, we almost get killed, or at least I do." Snotlout adds with a sigh.

"Maybe if you don't insult them when we first meet them you won't have anything to worry about. Think about that for a moment, Snotlout." I retort, thinking back to the Wingmaiden incident.

"Okay, okay. Yes. I generally am not a huge fan of people either. But we need to find Krogan, once we do that, we can resolve that whole issue." Hiccup states.

"I've an idea, Hiccup, that may not be well received." Valka says, stepping forward as Hiccup nods. "I heard about the great gathering of Chieftains that almost claimed Stoick's life, though it happened after my time with the tribe and before my return. Having run into Drago since then, he bragged about his defeat of the Archipelago's Chiefs, so I dug." She explains and I shift, I can almost guess where this is going.

"My suggestion is, instead of trespassing on these neighboring islands, invite their leaders to a new summit. A summit where we can recreate the pact between tribes. We already have four strong allies who would gladly attend. With those in our favor, we may allay the fears or retribution of isolationists like the Hysterics. Together, we could prevent the likes of Krogan and his ilk from ever setting sail in the archipelago again." Valka suggests passionately and then all eyes, including mine, fall on Hiccup.

"Mother, those tribes hate dragons. We'd need to approach it carefully, if they sailed to Berk as it is right now and saw the swarm overhead, they'd turn tail and likely think we were trying to pick them off." Hiccup suggests and I can see both sides. I slide my hand into Hiccups and nod.

"If we can truly achieve a level of peace in the archipelago and stop future trappers and hunters from setting foot here; repair and let blossom the relationship between humans and dragons… if there is even a chance…?" I say softly and he smiles and nods.

"Then we have to try. You're right." He answers softly, then looks to his mother. "You're both right. But organizing that would take time we don't have. The immediate threat of Krogan is too great to try diving into inter-tribal politics. That said, it's something we need to look into." Hiccup states and sighs, glancing back to his mother. "Mom, if you'd be up for it, I'd like you and Eret to officially try to visit these islands as an Envoy from Berk to extend the invitation. The rest of the riders will keep a low profile and track down Krogan." Hiccup states as Eret starts to protest.

"With all due respect, you may need my trapping expertise, Chief." Eret suggests and Hiccup nods slightly.

"That I may. But Krogan isn't a trapper, he's a bounty hunter and assassin. We've dealt with him before; we'll do it again. Besides that, I need someone I can trust as backup to my mom." Hiccup states and Eret nods, resigning his protest.

"Everyone else, take the rest of the day to tend to your dragons and yourselves. Tomorrow we go scouting near Tomorrow, and should nothing come up there, we'll heat north east. First light at the Academy. Mom, anything you need, just ask." Hiccup finishes and she smiles and nods. Soon we all break, and Hiccup and I find ourselves slowly walking back to the house we hadn't been to in days, our dragons walking behind us.

*********************************

Although I was glad to have Heather staying with us, and she was more than welcome to for the duration, I was also glad she wasn't there when Astrid and I got to the house. I needed to think, I needed to process everything that we had just discussed and the best time and place that happened was when Astrid and I were sitting in front of the fire pit together. It didn't take us long to shed our riding suits, store them upstairs and change into more comfortable clothing. Soon, we were resting in our shared chair, a pair of mead mugs next to us and a cozy blanket wrapped around us. Astrid was resting her head against my chest with one of her arms stretched across and hanging loosely on my shoulder as I was gently running my hand across her forearm, both of us just gazing into the fire.

"What're your thoughts?" Astrid asks after a few long minutes of comfortable silence as I chuckle slightly.

"I've so many. My mother wants to restart the Chieftains gatherings, which would only lead to more inter-tribal drama as we argued over who would be the Chief of Chiefs. And before you say it, it will not be me." I say softly and I feel her laugh.

"Why not. It should be." She answers and I shake my head.

"As if these tribes would ever accept the rule of a hiccup, besides that's just not me, Astrid. I'm-"I begin before being interrupted by her finger against my lips.

"The best leader we've had in ages, yes, I mean that. Stoick was great, but you have filled his shoes well. Think of what great era you could lead us into; Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, the Negotiator. If anyone can unite the Archipelago as the Chief of Chiefs, it's you, Hiccup." Astrid says softly, lowering her finger as I sigh.

"Why? That's not me. The only reason I'm even Chief of Berk is because I'm Stoick's son. Thor knows none of these reforms Berk has seen would be true if Snotlout was Stoick's heir and I was a Jorgensen." I retort and she scoffs and shakes her head.

"Okay, first off, never compare yourself to Snotlout or the Jorgensen's. Secondly, yes, it would have. You would have still shot down Toothless, you would still have ended up beating me in training thanks to what you learned. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You are right where you should be, Hiccup." Astrid says as I tighten my grip around her waist.

"Sitting here with you?" I ask playfully and she laughs lightly.

"That, and many other things. You know I believe in you, even if you question yourself sometimes. I'll be there when the summit comes to pass, I'll be there when we finally nail Krogan to a pike. I'll be by your side when we bring peace to the Archipelago." Astrid says, sounding quite resolved in her soft-spoken words as I smile.

"You make it sound so easy. How do we bring peace when it seems to be in the nature of men like Ragnar, Krogan, Khan, Drago. Thor's sake, Viggo, Ryker, Johann. This Griselda; and their entire fleet of trappers, hunters. How do we bring peace when so many would rather bring profit? It'd be so much simpler, and miserable, if there were no dragons to fight over." I resign, closing my eyes softly and shaking my head.

"Maybe, but that's not the way of the world. Even if there were no dragons, those types of people would simply find a new trade. When there are no dragons to enslave, they would turn to enslaving their own. Wars would be fought over imaginary lines with people as the fodder. It'd be the same, we'd only be losing the beauty, the mysticism of the dragons; not the nature of evil people." Astrid replies as I feel her shift in my embrace and feel her press her lips softly against mine. Opening my eyes, she is gazing into mine with a light smile. "Promise me you won't give up. You've never given up, and I won't let you now." She finishes softly and I smile.

"I promise. With you by my side, I feel like I can accomplish anything, no matter how insurmountable it may seem. I'd like to believe that peace is possible. But you know what that means, ultimately, right?" I say softly, closing my eyes again. Her silence begs me to finish my thought as I sigh. "Those that cannot be reasoned with, that cannot see compromise, that would rather see war than peace; need to be removed." I finish softly. It was not something I cared to discuss, ending a life, any life, dragon or human.

"Be it prison bars or sent to Valhalla to be judged by the gods themselves, you are not wrong." She replies, resting her head on my chest. "I know it's not something to consider lightly, and I truly hope we can find another way to achieve peace. But so long as there are evil people in power within the Archipelago, that will not happen. What better way to fight it than by unifying the Archipelago against it?" Astrid suggests and I smile. She was really pushing this whole summit idea my mother suggested, made me wonder if they conspired together when I wasn't looking.

"What's your stake in it?" I tease and she shakes her head.

"I've no stake in it beyond seeing peace between dragons and humans and seeing peace…" she pauses and lifts herself back up, resting her hand on my cheek as she looks in my eyes. "…in here. You don't think I can't see the turmoil in your heart, but I can, better than anyone." She finishes, leaning down and gently kissing me again. The kiss lingers as I run my fingers up her back, running them underneath her loose shirt. Slowly our lips part with us both smiling.

"I do feel at peace with you, I hope you can see that." I whisper and she nods, pressing her forehead to mine.

"I do, Hiccup." She answers and we suddenly hear the door to the front door open as Heather gasps.

"Did I just hear a proposal!?" Heather exclaims as both of us burst out laughing and sitting up from our seat, shaking our heads violently.

"What?! No, no, no, no, no." I stutter as Astrid waves her hands, we're both flustered as Heather laughs.

"Hope I'm not interrupting." She teases, walking in. "Its around dinner, figured I would cook tonight for you two." She pauses and glances towards us still sitting under the blanket. "That is, assuming your staying?" She jests as we both shake our heads with a smile.

"Cook away, you know where the stuff is. It's been awhile since you've made us yakchops." Astrid replies as we both stand and take our mugs of mead to the table, sitting and watching Heather. It was semi-awkward but Heather was different. Like a sister to both Astrid and I, we didn't feel the same level of awkwardness when it was her versus someone like Gobber.

"Where have you been?" Astrid asks.

"I took Windshear on a flight, had to ditch Snotlout who apparently can't figure out who he wants. Ugh; he really hasn't changed his attitude towards women at all, has he?" Heather vents and both Astrid and I laugh.

"Not really. Did you know that Fishlegs and Ruffnut thought they were married for a day, acted like a real married couple and everything back on the Edge. I wager Ruff ends up with him." Astrid suggest as Heather sighs.

"Still not sure where that romance blossomed. Eret seems to have a thing for your mother, there, Hiccup." Heather suggests as my eyes widen with a laugh.

"That's horrifying. Can we not?" I exclaim as the girls laugh. "What about you; I hear Gustov is looking to court?" I retort as I literally see Heather retch which prompts both Astrid and I to laugh.

"No, thank you. I'm quite sure I'll end up alone for a long while, which is okay with me, to be honest." Heather answers.

"Well, you're always welcome in our home, so don't forget you have friends here." I state and she genuinely smiles. It had taken years to get Heather to accept that we were genuine friends but she did, now.

"Speaking of, have you given anymore thought to your mother's idea?" Heather asks and Astrid and I glance at each other and shrug.

"A bit. What's your take, since you brought it up?" I ask and she shrugs, bringing over the yakchops she just finished with a mug of mead.

"You should do it; and I know my brother and Mala would both support you being lead." Heather states.

"Really, Dagur wouldn't want to be the Chief of Chiefs!" I say, emphasizing the title, prompting both girls to snicker as Heather shakes her head.

"No, he's actually grown quite content with being Chief of the Berserkers and King of the Defenders of the Wing. That, and he respects you more than you know. Despite everything he's done in his past, you never gave up on him, not completely anyways. Always spared him, always chose the higher road when he still struggles to do that himself. Trust me, he'd want you to be the Chief of Chiefs." Heather states and I sigh. Great, now she was pushing that idea as well.

"Okay, well, can we table that idea and just eat? Talk about less important things, I don't know." I stammer and luckily Astrid comes to my rescue. Distracting Heather with talks about visiting Mala and going far north to see the Wingmaidens again. Revisiting the event where she almost killed Snotlout, the multiple events, rather. The dinner went from serious to laugher in moments and we were all able to just have a peaceful meal. Under the table, during our talks, Astrid's hand slipped into mine and squeezed softly. She had my back, and I had hers; and we always would


	43. The Hunt Begins

Day one of our official hunt of Krogan, and the Riders, like I, were already done with this maniac. I had left Gobber to tend to the town while my mother prepares for her trips. Dagur had left the evening beforehand, leaving just the original Dragon's Edge riders. We were honestly all okay with that; the extra fire power Eret, Dagur, and my brother brought was welcomed but they weren't as aware on our tactics which the rest of us had spent years honing together. Sure, we could get on each other's nerves, but in battle, we had really come together as unit.

"Alright gang, I've given it some thought. In lieu of my mother's idea, we're going to alter our plans slightly. I don't want to risk anything with the inhabitants of Tomorrow before she gets there, so instead we'll head South on our first outing. Towards the Waterlands, east of Swallow. There are a pair of large islands there that we know little about due to proximity to the Hysterics and Berserker Islands, back when we were at war. The Waterlands was mentioned in the notes; and it appears to be an island devoid of a human population. Remember, this is strictly scouting, we are trying to track down Krogan. Once we've dealt with him, we can go back and finish off the trappers one by one." I state. "Questions?"

"What if we find Krogan?" Heather asks

"Switch to capture mission, we'll bring in the A team and do whatever it takes to capture him." I reply with a strong tone. "We aren't putting him in our sights to let him escape. If we find him, this changes from a scout to a capture or kill mission. Capture, preferably." I add

"Why are we wasting time trying to capture him. He's been a pain in the yak for how long now? Can we just be done with it?" Snotlout exclaims and I truthfully share his sentiment with a shrug.

"I'd like to say yes, but that isn't our way. You know that. He knows that. Capture him, turn him over to Dagur. Let him rot in a Berserker prison cell." I reply, glancing to Heather who smiles with a shrug.

"We wouldn't be able to guarantee he'd like his accommodations, but I know my brother would love to host him." She retorts as I shake my head and smile.

"Okay. On that happy note; I'm assigning everyone a buddy, just incase we end up needing to split." I state. "Astrid and Heather; Fishlegs and the Twins, Snotlout with me." I finish as they all nod in acceptance, I look baffled. "That's one of the first times no one has complained about the split." I exclaim as they all shrug and laugh.

"Hey. Can only argue to a point, besides, we've all gotten better working together overall." Fishlegs says, glancing to Snotlout with a smug grin. Yep, those two were still both gunning for Ruffnut, how or why was still completely unknown. Heather seemed genuinely disappointed Fishlegs had moved on from her over Ruffnut.

"That said, we are flying together. We're not splitting up inside any caves, we're not risking that again. We're wings up in thirty, Astrid and Heather, can you make sure the A team is ready just in case we call for them?" I ask, glancing to Astrid who smiles and nods.

"Got it, we'll meet you back at the academy." Astrid says with a lingering gaze and leaves with Heather. The rest of the riders head to the Academy as I track down my mother. She was in the Great Hall with Eret and Gobber with a variety of documents. She smiled when she saw me and waved me over as Toothless stayed close in tow.

"Hello son, we were just going over the wording of our initial greeting. We need to tread cautiously, some of these aren't exactly friendly." My mother states and I nod.

"No kidding. Are you taking ships or dragons?" I ask as she shrugs.

"Both. We'll take the ships, but have the dragons with us in case we need them. Can never be too careful with tribes like the Hysterics. Better safe than sorry. We've outlined a draft if you want to look over it, it is representin' you after all." She adds and I sigh.

"You know, I'm still technically against this." I mutter and she laughs but slides the paper to me as I shrug my shoulders and read it over.

"You are cordially invited to the Summit of the Archipelago.

Since the days of Drago Bludvist have ended, but the threat on our waters has not, the Chief of Berk, Chief Haddock, is officially inviting you to participate in a summit of Chieftains to bring peace to the seas. This is a summit of peace, and as such, all problems of the past will be left at the shore. We intend to forge a future of peace with our neighbors and other inhabitants of the Archipelago. To secure our waters from outside threats and make safe the seas for trade and local inhabitants. None should live in fear of their neighbors.

The precise date and location of the Summit has yet to be determined. Representatives from the Outcast Tribe, the Berserker Tribe, the Hooligan Tribe, the Defenders of the Wing, and the Wingmaiden tribes will all be present.

It is our hope that you will join us in this Summit. The Envoy of Berk, Valka Haddock, Mother to the Chief and Eret, Son of Eret, Advisor to the Chief, speak in the Chief of Berk's name. They can receive your requests and confirmation/denial of attendance."

Looking back to my mother as I smile weakly and shake my head. "Is this really happening, oh gods, okay. Well, this looks good. Heavy, but good. Might need more, or less. Gods, I don't know" I exclaim, glancing to Eret. "Not that she needs it, but look out for my mother while you're out there." I state and he nods.

"You got it, Chief. We'll do you proud." Eret replies, clasping his hand with mine as I nod.

"With that, we're beginning our hunt. We'll be resupplying here every night but out for most of the day. Gobber!" I call out as Gobber waddles over. "If I'm needed for anything, tag my door so I see it when I return."

"Ye got it, don't ye worry. Berk'll be fine without ye. We're building more stables for the last flock you brought in." Gobber adds and I nod, smiling. Building stables, fire systems, saddles, it all helped keep the people of Berk occupied and generally very pleased. By this point, every single person had a dragon of their own, some welcomed more than one into their homes. It was a great place to live.

"Alright, thank you. I'm off. Be safe." I state.

"You too, son." My mother replies, taking my hand softly and smiling before I head off with Toothless. Taking to the air, I pat Toothless on the side as he coos.

"What do you say bud, one quick lap around the island before we meet the others at the Academy?" I ask and he nods, and we take off. It was cathartic to make that lap and just feel the wind gusting through my hair. Almost made me forget, even briefly, what it was we were really doing. Of course, reality had to settle in as we finished our lap and landed. The other riders were already there, even a couple people of the A team were there as I landed next to Stormfly and hopped off, moving close to Astrid as she's briefing Gustov and Spitelout. She didn't note my presence verbally, but I felt her shift just a little closer towards me when she saw I was standing there. It was those little things that made me smile even more.

Not long after that, we had loaded up all the gear and were ready to take off. As Astrid moves to Stormfly, I take her wrist and pull her back to me and kiss her on the lips as she melts into the kiss. Breaking it with a smile and a nod.

"Good luck?" She asks softly and I nod, smiling.

"Can never have too much of that." I reply and she shrugs.

"In that case." She pauses, leaning in and kissing me again before we hear the disgusted sound of Snotlout.

"Okay, can you guys not!? We have a mission, don't we? And people say I have trouble focusing." He exclaims, prompting several snickers as we ignore it and let the kiss deepen a second longer before parting, smiling, and mounting our respective dragons. Snotlout was always that way, and by now, it honestly didn't phase us in the slightest.

*********************************

I'd have to make a note to remember this later, the flight directly south was absolutely beautiful if not dangerous. There were rumors of a collection of islands that formed the Mazy Multitudes but they, along with several other islands such as Sorrow, Crescent and Sunstone were sunken or destroyed entirely by the Screaming Death. Not that we were particularly upset about it, with it being so close to Berk, it made hiding attacking forces easier which always made me uneasy. There was also a time where Berk had a sister island that had been overtaken by Thor during a particularly bad storm season, though that happened before Stoick's time.

Either way, one such island that was of note was Mystery Island. Just north of the Waterlands; it was completely inaccessible by ship so it was automatically checked off our hunting list. The flight over it was absolutely gorgeous, a pristine environment that had hardly seen human contact though was riddled with a variety of dragons that we could see from the air. When the threat of Krogan was done, this would be a stop Hiccup and I took on our retreat. The scenery was short lived as we flew past it.

We knew that further south from The Waterlands was open ocean and the mainland, neither places we cared to tread. Most who ventured that far never returned, and even with dragons we wouldn't risk the inhabitants of the mainland's whose own warring ways were finding their ways to our Archipelago. We had always assumed the warlords were from the mainland's, it makes sense that they'd want to extend their control beyond their borders and the only way to go is out to sea until you hit the end of the world. Explorers though we may be, there are certain places we do not tread.

We were soon over the Waterlands, which was as close to the eastern lands we had ever been. The Waterlands, from overhead, seemed to be a lush environment. Not at all rocky like most islands in the archipelago, this was a forest spread across a flat of land triple the size of Berk, if not more. It was another beautiful environment that was accessible by ship. I remember being told about when I was lost at sea back beyond the Edge, when we first encountered the Hunters. Tuffnut made the note that littering in the archipelago should be illegal; and to this day, I agree. The amount of waste that trappers, hunters, those only concerned with power or wealth, could leave in their wake was breathtaking.

The northern shores of the Waterlands seemed pristine, beautiful. The southern shores were littered with countless leftovers from various visitors. Though there was no signs of a permanent base on any of the shores; and no sign there was even recent traffic when we swept lower to investigate.

"Hiccup, I don't think this island has seen traffic recently." Fishlegs calls out and I agree as Hiccup shakes his head.

"Look at this, it's like they dumped their garbage on the beach and left." Hiccup exclaims with a sigh and glances to me as I shake my head, softly smiling towards him to try to appease him. "They don't care about the environment, this is how it gets destroyed. What do they think, their trash just disappears?" Hiccup growls, I could see he was angry, so was I. I hated seeing places like this fowled in such a way.

"We can't do anything about it by ourselves, Hiccup." I call out, resigned as he nods.

"I know, it just is disheartening. Okay, we'll do one more sweep then head west towards Tomorrow. We're just doing a scouting mission, Tomorrow is inhabited and their inhabitants are just as unruly as the Hysterics are." Hiccup states

"Have you ever been in contact with them?" Heather calls out as I glance back to Hiccup who shakes his head.

"No. Not even my father had. He had relations with the Chief of the Shivering Shores, someone my mother is visiting as well. The Hysterics, those of Tomorrow; in fact, we've stayed clear of the southern islands for the most part due to their violent natures." He states and winces slightly, undoubtedly remembering Berserker Island was one such southern island. "No offense intended." He adds sheepishly as I smile.

"None taken!" Heather calls back and nods. "Dagur mentioned our father once had a treaty with the Hysterics back when he waged war; we don't know what came of it. I'm curious if they will attend the summit!" Heather shoots back and I laugh lightly to myself as I watch the exchange.

"Oh, ha, ha, yeah, the summit. The more I think about it, the more I agree that a gathering of Chieftains needs to happen to address the trappers plundering our waters. It also has me nervous." Hiccup states as I fly up closer to him and reach out, he returns the reach and out hands connect as our dragons glide.

"We'll do it together, Hiccup." I call to him and he smiles.

"And you know the Berserkers have your back. Our name still carries a great deal of respect in the Archipelago." Heather adds and he nods.

"It's appreciated." Hiccup returns and our hands break as our dragons flap their wings to stay in the air.

"Hiccup, did you get a look at Mystery?" I ask him as he nods, glancing back to me. I wink at him and smile as he chuckles and nods. He understood my message without saying it; it would be a decent stop on our retreat. I wanted to explore with just him, I wanted to explore more of him. Gods, how my mind can wander even amid a mission, I wonder if his does too. My eyes find his lingering towards me with a passive smile on them that he shakes out of when our eyes connect, prompting us both to laugh lightly. Yes, his wanders as well.

"Alright, gang, to Tomorrow. We'll scout Laya-lout and Danger-Brutes Islands as well, but we'll keep our distance. After that, we'll return to Berk for the night." Hiccup calls out as several riders' shout in joy. His eyes linger on mine for a moment, and I let them linger on his; us both smiling. It was a moment that I swear I could feel him next to me even though we were a dozen feet apart in the sky, and all it made me want to do was sleep in his arms.

Continuing on our flight path, we passed over Swallow and my head seemed out of space with our mission. All I could find myself thinking about was our time in the Forge together, what more we were going to do with each other. Gods, for a while, I must've forgotten we were on mission which is wholly out of character for me. It was that moment, in it, I wanted to hole up from the rest of the world; ignore the conflict outside our borders; ignore the suffering and just be happy with him. Maybe I hadn't been mentally ready before, and we sure weren't ready given the threats to Berk, but I felt ready to marry in that moment. There would always be an excuse why we shouldn't; we aren't ready yet, too much going on, the threat is still there for any children we bring into the world. We surely wouldn't be pressured by Valka or Gobber, it'd be when we wanted. But he could ask tomorrow and I'd probably say yes; and that in of itself didn't fill me with fear, but hope.

Hope that there was a future beyond our time as Riders, battling threats in the Archipelago. Hope there was a time when instead of worrying about the next problem, my biggest worry would be what he and I would do together during a time of peace. A warrior though I may be, I've seen my share of battles and I was ready to imagine a life of peace. It seemed so far away, impossible even, but it was there. With Hiccup as Chief, a time of peace would be the new dawn of our society.


	44. A New Lead

It was always something of a risk approaching the shores of the Cursed Lands of Tomorrow, no Viking had ventured there in over a hundred years and returned to tell the tale. Rumor was that the Island was guarded by dragons that flew as fast as Speed Stingers ran. The idea that the Trappers would base anywhere near this cursed island was likely a rumor at best, but it did have surrounding sea stacks and smaller clumps of land that could be potential stops.

Neither Hiccup, nor I, were not very keen on staying near this island longer than we had too. Fortunately, we didn't need to explore it overly in our search of Krogan, because as was willed by the gods, on our flight we happened upon a ship sailing northwest. Almost towards Bashem in direction but probably south of that, not that we'd let it get there. It flew the trappers flag and was wrought with activity on the deck. Hiccup glanced to me and I nod, we knew what we were going to do.

"Finally. Something to shoot." Snotlout exclaims as Hiccup issues out the order to attack.

Together, our six dragons sweep down and within seconds, completely wipe out the emplacements on deck, sending several trappers to the sea. They weren't prepared for us, which either tells us they thought they were safe, or they didn't know to expect us. Either way, when we landed, they caved rather quickly.

"Tell me where Krogan is." Hiccup states, still on Toothless's back as the Night Fury opens its jaw to reveal a building purple plasma ready to fire, the hiss of the Night Fury's signature scream echoing within.

"I'd tell him if I were you." Tuffnut suggests, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, our good Chief isn't too happy with your boss. Pretty sure he had his dragon eat someone last time." Ruffnut adds sarcastically as I roll my eyes. Hiccup ignores them completely as Toothless moves closer to the trapper on his back on deck.

"Tell me." Hiccup states, not asking, not requesting. Sitting on the back of Stormfly, I can genuinely see the anger and seriousness in his eyes as he glances to Heather. "Heather. You, Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins go below deck. Find any paperwork, any sign of Krogan. Free any dragons. If you find Krogan." Hiccup states and Heather nods, taking her axe and smiling.

"You got it." She answers and together, those four leave. We had separated outside our assigned groups from earlier, but something tells me that was for a reason.

"You, trapper, have a choice. Tell me now, or I fly you as high as I can and let you fall." Hiccup then says, prompting me to glance back at him.

"No, okay. Fine. Promise me you'll protect me from Krogan and I'll talk." The man says weakly.

"If what you tell me leads to his capture, then fine. You'll have a home on Berk for protection. Now. Tell me." Hiccup states again, his brow furrowing as my own softens. His eyes meet mine briefly and he softens his gaze, shaking his head before returning his glare to the man.

"Krogan's main base is on Villainy. The Trappers have been using it for almost a year now since it hasn't seen traffic in over three. When he isn't hunting dragons across the archipelago, he is there. Usually with Khan, but Khan has been gone as of late." The man states and I shake my head.

"We've flown past Villiany and seen no signs of a base there. It's uninhabited. There aren't even dragon's that are native there." I state as Hiccup glances back to me with widened eyes.

"There weren't." He mutters as the trapper nods.

"The Snow Wraiths you relocated from Ryker. Krogan tracked them down, said a former associate figured out their location. They've been in chains for months. Krogan has been using their cave as a base." The trapper confirms as Hiccup turns his blade and ignites it to the trapper.

"Why? What's his game? What's yours?" Hiccup demands as I slowly reach my hand out but withdraw. This was his role as Chief, I couldn't interfere. It wouldn't be right to subvert his authority here, not even if he was starting to worry me.

"No game on my end. Krogan is a loose cannon. Every single group of hunters since Grimborne has been put out of business by you; the trappers employed by Drago were different. Then they became led by the warlords who are less organized than a flock of Terrible Terrors. And Krogan, that maniac kills anyone who asks too many questions. If telling you this is my way out of this, so be it." The trapper states, rather soundly as Hiccup nods, lowering his sword.

"How can we trust you?" I ask, glancing to Hiccup.

"You lot win more often than my lot does. I'm not above switching sides." He states as I sigh.

"Yeah, so what'd stop you from switching again" I retort as he shrugs.

"Survival. Those in this trade don't take turncoats well, my life is already forfeit if I tried to stay with them. Krogan would find out and kill me. Better to help you nail him and live as a peddler than die." He states and Hiccup takes a deep breath.

"Fine. For now, we'll pretend I believe you. Tell us more about this base." Hiccup states as the Trapper nods, standing up as Toothless relaxes. Stormfly still barbed up ready to jump should the trapper make a false move.

"There is a cove under the mountain accessible by ship but nearly invisible from the air due to the glacier on the northern facing side of the mountain. The entryway is protected by catapults, bola-launchers and nets, as well as archers. When needed, the entryway can also be sealed off by a dragon-proofed steel net that blocks ships or dragons from coming or going. Get past all that, the rest of the cove is defenseless except for the ships. Anywhere between three to twelve ships will be there at a given time." He states as Hiccup nods.

"And the Snow Wraiths?" He asks

"Kept in the back of the cave. There is a large loading area that houses dozens of cages, most of the time they are full." He answers and I nod along with Hiccup as I glance to my side and see Heather and the others start emerging from below deck with several dragons in tow.

"We've freedom some dragons and found some communiques." Heather states as Hiccup nods and points to the trapper.

"What about these warlords. What do you know about them?" Hiccup asks

"Ragnar is an idiot, but he is the strongest by far and sometimes quite tactical. Khan is the quietest and probably the most lethal. Griselda is cruel and absolutely grievous. When they work together, they are like one Drago; individually they are like power mad kids." He states

"And how do you know them like this, aren't all you guys power mad?" Snotlout asks, walking up to the man.

"Some of us are just in it for the money. Money doesn't trump survival, and at this point I'm tired of getting threatened for asking questions or with being burnt." He shrugs his shoulders.

"Can't argue with that logic." Tuffnut retorts before looking to Hiccup. "So, what's the word, Chief. Want Barf and Belch to eat him?" He suggests with a wicked smile as the man waves his hands as he is now surrounded by six dragons.

"Woah, woah, woah. I told you everything I know!" He exclaims as Hiccup sighs.

"Oh, gods. No. Snotlout, you and the twins take—what is your name anyways?" Hiccup asks

"Arne Skarde. My family was formerly of the Berserker Tribe but was exiled a couple generations ago." Arne states as I glance to Heather who shrugs.

"Okay. Snotlout, Twins, take Arne to Berk. For the time being, put him in a cell with a guard on him. If his information checks out, we'll see about lifting that sentence." Hiccup states as Arne sighs and nods.

"Better than I can hope for from the trappers. It'll check out. Good luck taking out Krogan; I can tell you he is there now and probably will be for a few days at least. He is recovering from that cave in and in a foul mood." Arne finishes as Hiccup nods.

"The rest of us, we'll scout Villainy then head to Berk. We'll need the A team for this run to be successful." Hiccup states and with that, everyone takes off. Me flying close to Hiccup's wing as my mind raced. We were close to finding Krogan, if this Arne checked out and there weren't more surprises, that is.

*********************************

My mind was racing at the prospect of finally putting the threat of Krogan to an end, and I'll be honest, simply ending his tenure with the living had crossed my mind more than once. He was more deranged than Dagur was on his worse days, more ruthless than Viggo. He didn't have the same degree of intellect on his side, which was to our favor but he was a threat that if left unchecked would certainly cause a great deal of harm.

And now knowing that he had tracked down where we relocated the Snow Wraiths. We hadn't used Villainy for hunting or skiing in a decade, easily. Since it was an island entirely covered in snow throughout the year, and uninhabited and fairly close to Berk, it was an excellent place to relocate them too. They had been living there in peace for years, or until the trappers made it a base. We hadn't been patrolling the area, focused on Drago, Viggo or whatever other threat we had to face. I am mentally kicking myself for this, and for letting my anger flare. I was becoming more and more like my father after taking the mantle of Chief.

More tolerant than him, by far, but when it came to the safety of the dragons or my people, I wasn't sure if I had a limit I wouldn't cross. I was fortunate that I had Astrid there to keep me grounded. All it took was a look from her to temper my anger and soften my reaction. Where she was once the sword that I blunted, she would be what blunted my own blade before our enemies. Krogan was no different; I'd like to say I am a bigger man who wouldn't kill a man while he was down. But Krogan, I can't honestly say that I wouldn't strike him down even if I found him on a sick bed. He had done too much to be let go with a few words.

If Arne's information was accurate, the base at Villainy, which wasn't on the map, would be Krogan's last resting place. And we'd hit it once we confirmed the information in the morning. Flying closer to Villainy, I bring the Riders higher in the sky.

"Okay, gang. This is simple recon. Information says Krogan is here, and will be for an extended period of time. He has the Snow Wraiths and who knows how many others captured here. The front of the cove is fortified and we can't take it without current numbers. All we're doing is flying by, confirming it's there, seeing if we can see anything then flying to Berk. We'll mobilize the A team and hit it in force tomorrow." I explain as they nod.

"Hiccup, question. Can we rely on this Arne guy?" Fishlegs asks and I shrug, shaking my head.

"No, not really. Not yet." I state and glance to Heather. "Let's see those communiques really quick. Check them for anything relating to Villainy." I ask and she nods, opening her satchel and shifting through some paper. She nods along.

"At least half of these came from Villainy, and all of them from Krogan or Khan specifically. Last one is from Krogan, from Villainy, telling them to head north to The Murderous Mountains with no other details." She explains and I nod.

"Maybe to throw us off course. They may not have honestly expected a turncoat in their midst again, and I truly didn't expect him to just unload like that." I add and Astrid sighs as I glance to her.

"You didn't give him much of a choice, Hiccup. At least with you, he avoided death by Krogan." Astrid says softly and I smile weakly.

"Was I too much? I-I'm sorry. We're just so close, and I'm so tired of all this fighting. I just want peace, and what follows after that." I admit and glance to her and see her expression soften into a smile as she nods. She knew, I wanted to forgo my time hunting trappers and saving dragons and live peacefully with dragons on Berk; with her.

"It'll be over eventually, Hiccup." Heather adds and I nod.

"Sooner rather than later, I hope. Okay, we'll go low and fast. Astrid, with me. Heather with Fishlegs. You two stay high, Meatlug isn't exactly built for speed." I state as Fishlegs scowls.

"Hey, we talked about mentioning her weight. It's okay girl, you've still got the biggest heart." Fishlegs retorts, patting Meatlug on the side as we all chuckle lightly.

Glancing to Astrid who nods with a smile, we dive down and glide low against the water together. Stormfly was one of the few who could glide with Toothless like this and keep up, which was one of the many reasons we often partnered. The sun was nearing the horizon after a full day of scouting several islands and now on a return trip to Berk, the darkening sky and bright hue against the sea helped offset our dragons visages and we would appear like nothing more than a pair of dragons.

Taking out my spyglass as we pass by the mouth of the cove, it was right where Arne said it would be. From the sky, we didn't see it, but down here it was plain as day, and I could see at least four emplacements near the mouth of the cove with several dark silhouettes resembling ships inside.

"Looks like Arne was on point, at least four emplacements right at the cove, and probably five or more ships inside right now. If we attack low and fast at midnight, both sides of the entrance to the cove, we could take out the emplacements and be inside before they can react. Thoughts?" I ask Astrid as we fly by.

"We could use your mom and Eret on this, if they haven't left yet. But otherwise, it seems straightforward. Did you see any emplacements further inside?" Astrid asks and I shake my head.

"I can't see that far in without getting closer and I'm not willing to risk it as we are right now. Let's get back to Berk, regroup, grab the A team and form a plan." I state and she nods.

"I'd suggest we let the riders have a few hours to rest, we've been flying all day." Astrid adds and I nod.

"Yeah, some rest would be nice before hitting this target." I state with a smile and she grins looking back to me.

"I was thinking we could rest at the forge; that's more refreshing than just sleep is for me." Astrid teases back and I laugh and nod.

"You read my mind. Alright, let's double back. Seems we've got a lot on our plates tonight, especially if we can capture Krogan." I state and she nods.

"We'll get him, Hiccup. We will." She states, confidently and with a smile. It did reassure me, maybe we could finally close the chapter of Krogan out of our lives and deal with the trappers. Without a focused effort, they were little more than mercenaries who trapped dragons. They didn't have the same level of threat that the Hunters did under Viggo. Remove Krogan from play, and they become a discombobulated fleet that will be easy pickings. Then maybe, we can have peace.


	45. Eventide Rush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

Astrid, Heather, Fishlegs and I arrived back at the Academy shortly before sunset, where the others were already gathered and waiting as we flew in; my mother and Eret present as well. Landing Toothless near the front inside the Academy with Astrid close in tow, I hop off and motion for everyone to gather as I line up the large board to write on. Their indistinct chatter was hardly noticeable as I drew the mouth of the cove underneath Villainy and the emplacements that I spotted therein. Once I had drawn what I saw, I turned to the others and they slowly quieted down.

"Alright, first, Where is Arne?" I ask, glancing to Snotlout who shrugs.

"Cells; Gobber is sitting there with him telling random stories. Think he was going on about the Boneknapper when we left." Snotlout says with a shrug and I nod.

"Okay, so far, Arne's information checks out. We scouted Villainy and found the cove he mentioned, several emplacements located here and here." I began, pointing to the map behind me. "We're going in full force. A team will attack from the right side, Riders attack from the left. Mom, Eret, you will be with the A team for this assault." I explain, pausing to look around before continuing. "We expect anywhere between six to a dozen ships inside the cove, and established tents, possibly buildings. On our first sweep, dragons will target the decks of the ships, sink them. All riders will have the MonMare Gel Jars, drop them on the docks and tents; or emplacements." I finish, glancing around again as Eret raises his hand.

"Prisoners?" Eret asks simply and my eyes soften but I shake my head.

"Not our concern. They can reap the consequences of their actions." I answer before glancing towards Astrid with a soft look and sighing. "Our goal here is to capture Krogan, alive. If he resists and forces us, then we will finish him on the spot. One way or another, they will learn their methods are not welcomed in our waters." I finish.

"Who knew our stalwart leader could be so ruthless." Tuffnut exclaims with a smile. "It's like watching a son turn into a man!"

"I knew, it was the gambling." Snotlout retorts as my mother steps forward.

"A thought to add to this, dear. Should we succeed in keeping Krogan alive, it may well serve to our benefit at the summit. These trapper mercenaries are a plague to all local inhabitants of the Archipelago, and anyone would be glad to see one of their most ruthless captured and brought to justice before them." She states and I nod.

"I had the same thought. Okay, with all that said, we will be attacking at midnight. Villainy is a fifteen-minute dragon ride away at top speeds, so we will reconvene here an hour before midnight and load up. Until then, get food and rest, riders and dragons." I state and everyone nods, making their way out. I walk to Heather who is talking with Astrid.

"Heather, please feel free to continue using our home. It's your home as well and you and Windshear need rest." I state and she smiles as Astrid's hand slips into mine.

"I will. Thank you, Hiccup." She answers and looks to Astrid.

"We'll, uh, meet you back here later. Hiccup is going to help me with the dragon suit at the forge for a while." Astrid says sheepishly as Heather shakes her head and smiles.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure. With Gobber at the cells, you two alone in an isolated and hot forge. Yup, working on suits." Heather retorts with a knowing grin that makes Astrid's cheeks flush bright rosary red as I laugh.

"Yeah, not sure even I bought that one." I tease, lightly bumping shoulders to Astrid who responds by punching mine. "OW!" I exclaim as both girls laugh.

"You guys are fine, and you don't need to make any excuse up for my sake. I'm glad you two have an escape together. If you make it back to the house, there will be yakchops waiting. If you don't, at least have a good time and try not to wake anyone up." Heather slyly adds prompting Astrid to audibly groan as she punches Heather.

"Shut. Up!" Astrid exclaims, prompting Heather and I to laugh.

"Hey, just being honest. I'll see you two lovers later." Heather answers before leaving us alone in the Academy again. I move closer to Astrid and wrap my arounds around her with a smile as she sinks her head into my chest and sighs. Slowly her arms wrap around me and we stand there for a moment.

"You okay?" I whisper and she nods.

"Heather is way to smart sometimes." She retorts with a groan as I laugh.

"Come on, all the girl talk you two have, she has to have figured it out." I answer and she sighs with a light chuckle.

"Oh, babe, if you heard half of it, you'd think differently." Astrid answers playful and I pull back, glancing to her and smiling.

"Now I'm curious. Regale me, milady." I retort before leaning in and pecking her lightly on the lips and pressing my forehead to hers. She smiles and shakes her head, closing her eyes.

"Not happening. Girl talk is girl talk, you should know that by now." She answers, pressing a finger to my lips as I start to protest. "You should also know I don't keep secrets from you, but right now, I'd rather just be with you and feel you than talk about any of that gossip. Deal?" She asks, slowly opening her eyes with a smile as I nod.

"Deal. Race to the Forge, then?" I ask as she smiles, lightly shaking her head and tightening her grip. I can feel her soft, warm breath on my neck as she sways.

"For once, I think I'd rather it not be a competition." She answers softly and I kiss her neck softly.

"Are you okay?" I ask and she nods.

"This is huge, Hiccup. If this works, we can finally be rid of Krogan and end the whole Hunter's debacle. We'd still have the trappers to deal with, these warlords who are in their own way almost as threatening. But it's a step in the right direction." She states softly and I nod.

"A step towards peace. Imagine that, we capture Krogan, the Warlords. Send their fleet of mercenaries into disarray. Create the next summit of Chief's, unite the Archipelago, humans and dragons alike." I answer softly.

"It'd be a dream. For now, let's focus on what comes next." She says, pulling away and looking at me as I nod.

"Dealing with Krogan." I answer and she chuckles and shakes her head.

"I was thinking in the more immediate future." She answers softly and presses her lips to mine lightly before pulling away and smiling.

"I like that, so a nice walk to the Forge, then?" I ask, resting my forehead to hers as she nods.

"That sounds perfect." She answers, pressing her lips back to mine and letting them linger for just a moment longer before parting. Hand in hand, we walk back to the Forge together, the sun cresting the Horizon has it goes from twilight to dusk, giving us ample light and a perfect view as we walk quietly together, our dragons walking behind us. I couldn't say it enough, I couldn't appreciate her more, this was what I fought for. The ability to live in peace with humans and dragons, the sound of dragons playing together with humans and humans living without fear of other humans. It was a weird concept apparently, one that was met with scorn by those who sought power and wealth. But it was something I'd fight to live for and if need be, die to protect.

*********************************

The walk back was beautiful and calming considering how near the edge we were on finally ending the Krogan chapter of our lives officially. It was bad enough we never knew what happened to him, but he is a brutal man who has no place being free in the Archipelago, let alone in a position of power. If his brutality was removed from the trappers, then they would still be a threat sure, but the direct threat to Hiccup would be removed. We can deal with the trappers, we can save the dragons, we can do all these things when the direct threat to my love's life was ended. I couldn't think of anything else; it has been challenging to put the threat towards the dragons ahead of the threat on his life. Even if he can somehow disconnect, I can't.

Walking with Hiccup, his arm over my shoulder with mine around his waist, slowly moving together; was cathartic. This wasn't something I was willing to lose, this was something I'd fight for, this is what we fought for. I know he fights for it too, and it reassured me. It helped me push forward, these moments, these times together. Arriving at the Forge, we both knew why we were here. It was to be together, to enjoy each other, to live in the moment without fear of the future or reproach of the past. It had become a thing we had grown accustomed too; I locked the door, and he lit the forge, so we had ambient heat. The heat helped ignite our passion, the flicker of the firelight, the warmth from the forge and rush of our bodies as we sweat.

Turning from the door as I hear the forge ignite, I noticed a large wooden pallet hooked against the wall behind the table that looked suspiciously like a bed. As he fiddles with the Forge, I move closer and slide the table to the side against the door since we wouldn't be using it anyways and found the latch. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw the padded bedding against it as it lowered to hip level. Looking down, I see a pair of legs lowered with it that stabilized it.

"When did you do this?" I ask in some awe as he shrugs and smiles.

"It wasn't hard, I found some time before we started hunting for Krogan." Hiccup answers and I just shake my head in awe and smile.

"The things you can build are just inspiring, you know that?" I say softly and turn to look at him as he is now standing behind me. When I turn, I feel him press his frontside against mine, pushing me back against the lowered bedframe, forcing me to sit as he presses his lips to mine.

"I'm glad your impressed with the bed." He whispers against my lips. "Let's test it out." He finishes and I bite my lip and smile, kissing him once and pushing him back.

"Gotta lose this." I say, running my finger down he chest as he smiles and nods. Stepping back, we both slowly undress, though I intentionally went a little faster to beat him. As he turns around, I'm leaning against the bed, my back to him and my hips propped out and slightly bent. Looking back to him over my shoulder, I smile and nod. "My back's getting cold." I say softly and he smiles, walking up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist, pressing his frontside to my back. I can feel his stiff member slide in between my thighs as his warm breath rushes across my shoulders to my neck before I feel his lips gently massage their way up my neck to my ear.

"Still cold?" He whispers playfully and I shake my head with a smile, even though I shiver it isn't from the cold.

"Not as much, but I can think of another way you can help heat me up." I retort, looking back at him over my shoulder and biting my lower lip into a smile as he shakes his head and grins.

"Gods, that look drives me wild." He whispers and I smile as I feel his hands trace down my back to my hips. Slowly, I feel his stiff member throb and slide in between my thighs as his teeth softly bite down on my neck eliciting a moan to escape from my lips before he pulls back. "Something like this?" He whispers softly and I feel his stiff member slide back as my hips involuntarily push against his as I lower and widen my stance, feeling him guide his member to barely enter me from behind. It was a new angle, a new position we hadn't yet tried but so far, I liked it.

"Yes… keep going…" I murmur softly, closing my eyes as his hands return to my hips and he presses his member fully inside of me. Another moan escapes my lips at the pleasure of the new angle as I press back against him. I feel him grinding his hips against mine as I feel his member moving at an angle new to me, prompting me to sporadically push back against him as he presses forward towards me. Feeling his body pressed against my back as his breath sends goosebumps on my skin as he presses back and forth against me, his hands driving my hips. Closing my eyes and giving way to the passion, I lean all the way against the bed and dig into it with my fingers with each thrust. I feel my legs begin to shake as a moan escapes with every thrust, not even fighting them as it feels too good to fight. He pushes harder as I feel the pressure building within me and I bury my face against the bedding and let loose a long, muffled echoing moan, almost a scream of pleasure as he keeps thrusting inside. His pace increasing with each push, I could tell he was close as I had already felt my own eruption, it wasn't long before I felt his warmth fill be on the inside and his pace slow to a minor grind as he leans down against me.

"I love you." He whispers into my ear as I smile, my eyes still closed as my legs have since given out but fortunately, I was held up by the bed itself.

"I love you. Here, help me." I whisper, and crawl onto the bed with him behind me, and lay down, now facing him. He brushes the hair out of my face, both our bodies riddled with sweat and the forge's fire crackling as I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer. "I truly, deeply love you, with all my heart." I repeat softly and he smiles.

"I know, I couldn't be luckier. I've said it before, and I've no shame saying it again. I love you with everything I have, Astrid Hofferson-Haddock." He repeats, making my cheeks flush when he adds his name to mine. It wasn't a thing that meant much, in our cultures we never completely changed names as we were still members of our birth family. But, incorporating it like that, together, unified, even if unofficial, was still heartwarming to hear. I buried my face in his chest as he pulled our bodies closer.

"Doing better?" He whispers softly and I nod, pulling back and kissing him softly before resting my head against the small pillow.

"I love how sensitive you are. Yes, this… this is perfect. Any time I spend with you is always… just what I need." I answer, closing my eyes and just feeling his presence. Soon thereafter, I felt his lips press against mine, but I left my eyes closed as he parted.

"This is what I fight for Astrid. It's more than just the dragons, or stopping evil people, protecting our people. It's for you, to be able to be with you like this, eventually in a time of peace. When we can be properly married, and.." I hear him pause and smile, opening my eyes to look at him.

"And live happily ever after?" I finish for him, laughing slightly at the corniness of it as he shrugs and nods.

"Yeah, more or less. Corny, I know." He replies and I shake my head, pressing my forehead to his.

"Impossible. I love your pillow talk. About what you were asking about earlier, the girl talk." I mutter and he shifts slightly and shakes his head.

"No, that was private. I was wrong to ask, what you two talk about is your business." He replies and I smile, kissing him softly before pressing my finger to his lips.

"Shush. Thank you. It's just random stuff, a lot of it is about you and me, none of it bad. Heather has known you and I would be a thing since she first showed up on the Edge all those years ago. She also said that she had dibs on you if something ever happened to me." I retort playfully and he shakes his and smiles, brushing the hair that had fallen back in front of my eyes away.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news; but if anything ever happened to you… It'd be much like my father when he thought my mother was taken. I wouldn't take another wife; I wouldn't take another lover. We're not married yet, but know that even now, as far as I am concerned, we're together. You and I, Astrid and Hiccup, until Valhalla and then Beyond. Nothing will change that." He answers and I didn't notice it at first, but a tear or three had shed as I smiled.

"That was about as far from bad news as you could get, babe." I answer softly and press closer together. This was how we rested for the remainder of the night, right up until a couple hours from midnight. We laid in each other's arms, floating in between consciousness, light kissing, and random pillow talk. The flame from the forge continued to barely illuminate the room as we eventually rose and cleaned each other up. We returned to the house and grabbed some of the yakchops Heather had made as she slept before making our way to the Academy with our dragons together. Though we never truly slept, I felt refreshed and ready to tackle whatever the midnight attack gave us. For Hiccup, I'd give it my all, for each other and for all of our futures.


	46. Midnight Assault

By the time everyone else had arrived at the Academy, few words needed to be spoken. We knew the mission and the plan; we knew the objective. There was little else to do but execute it, and that we did. There were side conversations, mostly between the twins and Snotlout with Fishlegs or Gustov chiming in occasionally but for the most part, everyone was focused. It was as though even they appreciated the mission and what it's completion would mean. An end to Krogan and his reign of ruthlessness; an end to the direct threat on Hiccup's life. For what good is a tribe, a fleet, or a squad of trained and experienced dragon riders if we can't even protect and fight for our chief. At least, that was how I was trying to reason it in my head, for the separation of duty and love was especially challenging for me in recent weeks.

"Alright gang, let's catch this guy and bring him to justice." Hiccup calls out as he hops onto Toothless and glances at me with a soft smile as I nod, returning his smile. There was a collective 'Yeah!' from the group as we all took off and started our flight.

The moon was nearing the cresting point in the sky as we neared Villainy, the large snow-capped island was hard to miss heading south. We have even ventured to Villainy for hunting in the past though that changed when the dragon attacks became more frequent, then stopped all together after we befriended them. Riding higher in the sky, the mouth of the cove was practically invisible to the naked eye, with me only being able to spot it because Hiccup and I scouted it earlier.

Glancing to Heather and the other riders, I pointed out the cove entrance as we followed Hiccup far above the entrance to the cove. When the island was hardly visible below us, he stopped, and we all circled.

"Alright. Remember, fast and hard. A Team hits the right side, Riders hit the left. Focus emplacements, then decks. Use the Gel bombs on the tents. Once inside, Astrid, Eret, Heather and I will break off and track down Krogan while everyone else finishes off the ships. Make noise, keep them busy but don't take unnecessary chances. Fishlegs, Twins and Snotlout, you two will break off and see about the Snow Wraiths with the A team decimates the rest." Hiccup states as Tuff raises his hand.

"I have a question." Tuff states as Hiccup sighs.

"Is it actually a question or is it something you know I'll say no too?" Hiccup asks and he pauses.

"Uh, don't confuse me." Tuff adds, pausing as Ruffnut sighs.

"What he means is; do we care what happens to this cove or can we go all in?" Ruff explains as I sigh, glancing to Hiccup.

"We don't want to sink the island, but we also don't care if the entrance to the cove is sealed so long as its sealed after we leave. So, keep your explosions to the targets, once we have what we came for, go all in and drop it." Hiccup adds as both twins shout in utter joy.

"YES! Hiccup, you know us so well. It's almost like we've worked together for.." Tuffnut begins.

"Years or something." Ruffnut finishes as the two bonk helmets. "Twintuition." They say together as all the riders sigh in unison.

"Okay, not that again." I exclaim, glancing to Hiccup with a light smile as he shakes his head and laughs lightly.

"Okay, yes. Let's go. Break off into your groups, watch each other's flanks! Let's make this message loud and clear!" Hiccup yells out and then dives with everyone following suit.

The following few moments was utter chaos that rivaled the time of the Hunters when we weren't aware of their capabilities. Our two groups darted in and the first wave of emplacements were destroyed with relative ease before a loud, crippling alarm siren blared from one of the ships as the sounds of men screaming and catapults being loaded echoed in the large cove.

The cove itself housed eight ships, with dozens of tents and two solid wood buildings. Beyond those were several large caverns in the ice that seemed to hold more dragon cages, hopefully the Snow Wraiths as well. Dodging the following storm of arrow, nets, rocks and more as we darted around the ships, the sounds of fire echoed the cove as we let loose on the ships, wiping out more and more emplacements as we dodged the fire.

It was risky but I don't even think these trappers were ready for us to come at them full force like this. We had lit our gel jars and the first salvo found their way to the tents nearest the ships as we passed by, no sign of flyers like before, just people on the ground exclaiming in fear at our attack.

"Riders, break!" Hiccup shouted as Heather, Eret and I peeled off and followed him while Fishlegs, the twins, and Snotlout broke off and darted down one of the larger caverns.

Our group headed to the larger wooden building that hugged one of the walls. Landing at its entrance, Hiccup dismounted before opening the door and barely dodging out of the way as a man-sized axe hurls past him. Krogan was there.

"Watch out!" He calls back as the sound of Toothless's blast is heard chasing the axe and destroying it before it hits anyone else. Rushing inside, we all heard the familiar laugh of Krogan as we see him standing there with an outstretched hand and a large scar down the right side of his body. His low laugh echoes as he smiles and releases his hand.

"And I really liked that axe." He says simply before narrowing his eyes at Hiccup. "Hello again, Hiccup. Here to kill me?" He asks sarcastically as Hiccup snarls and shakes his head.

"I'm here to take you into custody of the Berkian People, to be judged for your crimes. The easier you make this the better." Hiccup states as he shrugs.

"Come now, you should know by know I don't make anything easy." He adds and there is a sudden explosion that rocks the cavern as his lips curl further into his smile; the sounds of the Snow Wraiths echo. "Tsk, oh my, seems like your snow wraiths are none too pleased. What's your next move going to be?"

Hiccup growls before glancing back to Eret. "Eret, take Heather and go check in on those guys. Remember, we don't want to hurt the dragons. We'll handle Krogan." Hiccup states, glancing to me as I nod with a smile.

"Keep a close eye on him, Stormfly. Spines at the ready." I say softly to my dragon as her spiney tail flairs as the other two take back off. Now it was just Krogan, Hiccup and I; and Krogan was unarmed, though time would tell if he actually surrendered or not. He was no strategist like Viggo but he had a cold calculation to his movements that rivaled Viggo's stratagem and demanded a degree of respect. Either way, he was ours now.

*********************************

Gazing down the room at this man who had haunted my waking world and dreams for the past several weeks since I realized he still lived. He was the same as he was before we thought he was killed; cold, confident, ruthless. He must've arranged something for the Snow Wraiths, something hopefully the trapper, Eret, and Heather could help with while Astrid and I dealt with Krogan. We were too close to let him slip through our fingers again; we've come too far.

"What's the matter chief, having a hard time deciding what to do next. I'll make it easy for you; survive." Krogan says sinisterly as he pulls out a pair of blades from his belt and launches them directly towards me before I can even react. Luckily, Astrid was prepared and Stormfly fired a pair of spines that intercepted the blades before they hit me. She then fired another pair towards Krogan as Toothless fired a plasma blast at him, blowing him back.

"No, Krogan. I'm not having a hard time. But you are about too. You've lost, you've been bested. Surrender now." I state as he just smiles from the ground and throws a pair of eels towards us, prompting our dragons to freak out. Toothless sends me flying as Krogan kicks another eel towards him and Stormfly throws Astrid off before running out of the entrance. Both of us then draw our weapons, igniting Inferno as she bears her Axe towards Krogan as he stands. "Don't make us do this, Krogan."

"Do what? Kill me? Is that within your repertoire? Chief Hiccup Haddock, a killer?" Krogan taunts as I wince and glare at him, leveling my blade towards him.

"We don't need to kill you. Severing your limbs will keep you alive and able to receive judgement." Astrid snarls back, twisting her axe towards him as she shrugs and smiles.

"Maybe so, but you, like Drago, will find out that I am hard to capture and even harder to kill." Krogan retorts before kicking a pair of chairs towards us that Astrid and I bat away with relative ease.

Despite his injury, Krogan hasn't lost his speed and he followed the chairs, charging straight towards me and as I blocked his assault towards my head, I felt his powerful knee impact my gut as Astrid's voice echoed the room. He rolled past both of us as I staggered back to my feet and glanced to Astrid before following him to find he was now armed with another axe and facing us again with a smile.

"Now, the odds are even." He says coolly with a smile, seemingly confident of his victory as he charged us again.

This time, however, we were ready. He had caught me off guard but that wouldn't happen this time. His first strike was leveled towards my head with his powerful axe that I parried swiftly to the side as Astrid came in besides me and swiped at his leg with her axe. He let out a sharp cry as he knee buckled and his strength wavered enough for me to lock his axe and turn it, opening his side and kicking him with my metal leg. I heard him wince as he fell back to the ground and Astrid held her axe to his throat, panting slightly at the brief but powerful exchange we had.

"Surrender. Now. Last warning." She says coldly as I level my blade towards him as well.

"We don't want to kill you Krogan." I add as he shakes his head and laughs.

"No, you want to cage me. I didn't let Drago cage me; I didn't let Viggo or Johann kill me. I haven't let any of these bloody warlords kill or cage me. Why would I bow to a kid and his friends?" Krogan snarls back as Astrid presses the axe closer to his throat.

"Because you are injured. You caught me off guard once and only once. You have no chance here. We won't kill you, lie down with your hands on your back and we'll treat you with justice as is demanded by Thor. Try to level your blade to us again, and we will kill you." I answer, the flames from Inferno licking the side of his face as he tries to pull away from it and presses into the axe with a wince. He growls at his situation; we had caught him wounded and he tried to act like he had the upper hadn't but he didn't.

"Fine." He mutters, lying down fully and placing his hands on the small of his back. I kick the larger axe away from him as Astrid presses her axe to the back of his neck. Moving closer, I tie his hands together and stand him up as Astrid and I escort him outside. The A team is still laying waste to the ships with little resistance at this point, and the Snow Wraiths are no where to be seen. The twins, however, are the first to fly to us followed by Stormfly and Toothless, who hops down from the top of the building.

"Oh, my, Loki. Is that, Krogan?" Tuffnut exclaims.

"Yes indeed, my brother. That would indeed be one Krogan, bounty hunter of the archipelago, bound by one Hiccup Horrendous Haddock." Ruffnut adds, holding up her finger as Tuffnut yells out in glee.

"Tell me! How does it feel, to go from the baddest, most ruthless hunter or trapper out there to a wounded guy at the whims of a one-legged rider!?" Tuffnut asks Krogan who growls as I shake my head and scoff.

"Really, Tuff?" I ask as he shrugs. My mother lands next to us on Cloudjumper.

"So this is the feared Krogan up close, right hand to Drago. I'm glad that chapter can be closed entirely now. Hiccup, I'll take him back to Berk with Cloudjumper." She offers and I nod.

"Not alone. Twins, where is Snotlout, Fishlegs and Eret, and Heather?" I ask and they shrug

"They chased the Snow Wraiths outside to get them back to Villainy's snow peaks." Ruff states and I nod.

"Okay, you two go with my mother, make sure they get back to Berk. Astrid and I will round up the A team and the other riders and meet you there. Mom, make sure he is secured, and don't trust anything he does or says." I state and she nods.

"Oh, don't ye worry, son. This man will not escape my sight, he'll be lucky if I don't have Cloudjumper drop him in the ocean." She states with a smile and I just nod and kick Krogan to the ground to her. She climbs Cloudjumper and the larger sharp dragon picks up Krogan before taking off with the twins in tow, flying beneath the caught trapper and berating him with comments as they flew.

As I turned to look towards Astrid, I felt her arms wrap around my neck and her lips press towards mine as she nearly caused me to fall back. It was a welcomed feeling, another victory. Returning her kiss, she parts and smiles.

"We did it, Hiccup. We took him alive, just like we planned. We can rest easy tonight knowing he is captured and in chains, knowing he will be judged for his crimes and pay for them. Knowing that the direct threat to you is past." She says softly and I nod, smiling.

"If only it were that simple." I answer solemnly and she cocks her head at me with a confused look as I sigh, wrapping my arms around her. "The judgement will demand his death. The threat on my life will only become worse now that we've removed their hunter. The Warlords will become increasingly desperate in the coming months when they realize they can't stop us. If I actually make this summit, I'll still be targeted. It isn't going to end anytime soon, Astrid." I whisper and she shakes her head.

"Let us take this then. It is ending with this; we'll all be targeted for the choices we've made. We'll all have enemies and need to live with them. But together, you and I, we can beat anything. Overcome any obstacle; I believe in you, now more than ever, Hiccup. You had the opportunity to kill him. You had every reason to kill him right them. You didn't. That's what makes you, you. And that's one of the countless things I love about you. Don't despair, we've won. And we will next time, and the time after that, and the time after that." Astrid answers, kissing me softly and I smile.

"You make it sound so easy. Okay, let's take this win and deal with what comes tomorrow. For now, let's gather up everyone else and head back to Berk." I state. First, Astrid and I check out the second wooden building and grab whatever papers we found to be sifted through later then we round up the A team. Following that, we fly to the snow-capped peaks of Villainy and find the other riders circling overhead where the Snow Wraiths had since burrowed.

"They've burrowed but they are safe!" Heather calls out and I nod.

"Alright, let's go. Krogan is bound and on his way back to Berk. We did it, gang! Let's go home!" I call out and everyone shouts in happiness as we start flying our way back. It was over, at least for now, and that was enough. I was looking forward to a night of rest in Astrid's arms without worrying about what the next day would bring. That'd have to wait until tomorrow night though, as all I can think of is what tomorrow brings during Krogan's judgement before the people of Berk, and what implications it'll have across the Archipelago as a whole later.


	47. Equivocal Dawn

The following morning after Krogan's capture was riddled with chaos. The people of Berk could hardly wait for us to get any rest after our attack before demanding his head on a pike and his body fed to the very dragons he enslaved years ago, Singetails. There was little anyone could to assuage them from filling the Great Hall shoulder to shoulder as we stood at the Chief's table discussing our options amid the ranting and raving of the people behind us. On the one hand, it was awe inspiring that they wanted justice for the man who threatened their chief and their way of life. On the other, it was almost frightful how close we were to anarchy.

"Alright, alright. We've got this." Snotlout began, trying to appease the masses before losing his temper. "Shut up!" He yells out and quiets the room to a low murmur and he glances back to me as I nod.

"Thank you." I say and he shrugs. "Alright, as most of you have heard, we have indeed captured the hunter known as Krogan; the very one who laid siege to Berk, whose flyers nearly killed my father those years ago. He is a man without a single redeeming quality and as of right now, has but one goal; my death. That said, he is in our prison." I explain.

"Off with his head!" Agnar shouts out from near the front.

"Yeah, let him be judged in Valhalla!" Magnus agrees and the shouting continues as I sigh and shake my head. Snotlout grumbles and steps forward again.

"Shut. UP!" He shouts, quieting the rowdy Vikings to a low murmur again as I nod to him.

"Right now, my plan is to take Krogan to the Summit of the Chiefs between all the tribes in the Archipelago. The first such summit since they were nearly lost to Drago's forces. I've no doubt that Krogan will find his death there, and he will indeed face the judgement of Valhalla. But it is my intention to use his capture as a means to forge a lasting alliance with our fellow tribes." I explain as the murmurs continue. Glancing to Astrid, my mother and Eret, they nod, and I sigh before continuing.

"I've tasked my mother with informing the other tribes of this summit, and plan to hold it a week after Snoggletog, which as we know takes place in just a few weeks at the peak of winter. Until then, Krogan will be kept in a barricaded cell with nothing more than the barest of minimums to sustain him. We will continue to hit the Dragon Trappers wherever we find them, and we will purge them from our waters. For now, take heart in our victory amid the traditional holiday season and revel with your families. We are one step closer to peace." I finish and everyone shouts. It was somewhat reassuring to hear their shouts of support as Fishlegs stepped forward.

"Alright, nothing else to see here. Let's go!" He exclaims, pushing people out with Snotlout's help as the twins, Heather and Astrid walk over to me with the bundle of papers I had found.

"So, H. Have a chance to sort through that stuff yet?" Tuffnut asks as I shake my head.

"Honestly, no. Like everyone else, we went straight to sleep when we got back until the rabble woke us. Let's see what we got." I answer as he waves his hands.

"Woah, woah, woah. Who's this 'we'" He asks as Heather and Astrid exchange a look then glance to me with an anticipating smile.

"Uh, yeah, so papers. Look at the papers. I think I need a Thorston eye here" I ask, trying to change the topic which works like a charm as both Tuff and Ruff approach the papers and I internally sigh and glance at the girls with a glare as they snicker quietly to themselves.

"Maps. I see maps. This doesn't look like the map of an island, no surrounding ocean." Tuffnut says as Ruffnut nods in agreement

"And look at this one, doesn't seem like a map of anything but water. Charted. What is with these guys, are they trying to fall off the Earth?" Ruff exclaims as I shrug.

"Those aside, look at this. More charts around the greater Archipelago with different trapper positions." I add as Astrid walks closer to me, I feel her hand on the small of my back as she leans in and looks with a nod.

"And this looks like manifests; shipping dragons to some main base. They're trying to weaponize them like Krogan and Drago did without success. According to this, their fleet numbers between a hundred and fifty to two hundred ships strong, spread across the Archipelago" Astrid states as I nod.

"That's more ships than the Berserker's, Outcasts and Berkians can muster. They've got nearly double our max." Heather says in awe. "Where are they coming from?" She asks no one in specific as I shake my head.

"Don't worry, Heather. They have ships, we have double their number in ships in dragons, plus the ships we have, on Berk alone. They'd never outright attack us, and they are likely outfitted for capturing dragons with cages and the like; not extended combat." I explain and she nods.

"So long as they don't figure out how to weaponize dragons, if we can finish them off, they'll be unable to recover. I can't imagine making that many ships an easy thing." Astrid adds

"No, maybe they have a dry-dock somewhere, or several, we can hit. But what island could actually house that many ships?" I ask, glancing to Eret who shrugs.

"I've spent many days at sea and can speak of no island that can make such, my only thought would be the mainland but I've only ventured there once and those lands are treacherous with war-drawn men who know nothing about dragons nor the sea." Eret answers.

"That's one area I'd rather stay clear of, to be honest. Though if that's where the dry-docks are, hitting them may be prudent but could open an entirely new jar of worms to contend with. If we can unite the Chiefs of the varying tribes, it may open other avenues." I add and everyone nods slowly. We were walking in uncharted territory, practically declaring war over the safety of our waters and those that inhabit them. Closing my eyes, I sigh with my hands on the table, gazing over the various papers. As I look back up I notice everyone looking at me for the answers and I wince internally. I'm still not accustomed to this, I had been leading the Riders for years, and this felt not unlike a mission before attacking Viggo out on the Edge. But the stakes had changed and now it was the people of Berk whom I lead. Astrid felt my apprehension as I felt her hand rest on top of mine as I stood.

"Alright, grandiose potential plans aside, here's the immediate future. Snotlout, get with Agnar, Magnus and Bjorne, organize a watch on Krogan with the standing militia. I'll keep his key, and he's only fed a potato a day with a small cup of water. Enough to keep him alive, but not enough for him to use to his advantage." I state and he nods. "Mom, Eret, head out for your visits but try to be back by Snoggletog. Send a terror mail if you need anything. Heather, head back to Berserker Island and fill Dagur and Mala in. I'll send a mail to the Wingmaidens. You're welcome to come back to Berk as you want, our door is always open. Everyone else, we're taking a couple days off." I state and everyone else nods and slowly disperses. Gathering up the papers, I tie them to my satchel and leave the Great Hall with Astrid in hand as we head back to the house.

It had been a long few weeks, and it felt like those years at the Edge never ended when Krogan returned. I only wish my father could be here, I could use his guidance right now. He may be a vengeful sort, but he had the wisdom of a warrior and battle-hardened Chief. I just hope I could fill those shoes and lead the people to peace. It seems like that was my destiny, to either lead them to peace or destruction, as all of this was happening on my watch and I could either act or not on it. I just hope I was making the right decisions; having Astrid by my side did a lot to boost my confidence.

*********************************

He had grown so much in the time since he was that little kid who could barely hold a shield, now the Chief of Berk and capturer of Krogan. Hiccup had become a force to be feared, even if he didn't know it. He was a warrior with the heart of a healer; it was he who bested Viggo, Ryker, Johann, Krogan (twice) and Drago. He often had help, by his friends, his dragon, or any other varying number of things but ultimately it came down to him and the decisions he made. He may not have confidence in himself but everyone else does. Even the naysayers have grown to respect him.

A few days off with just Hiccup was like a dream come true, to be honest. It had felt like ages since we had time to ourselves where we weren't worrying about the future. Granted, evil deeds were likely taking place beyond our waters as we walked, but we couldn't hope to stop all of them. Armed with more information, armed with a plan and a goal, armed with confidence over our success. We were poised to continue our strikes against the trappers with a fury and beat them into submission. That would be how we spent the next several months, freeing their dragons, decimating their ridiculous fleet. We'd win, it was just the way of things. We had a reason to win, a cause, a purpose. No enemy, no matter how insurmountable they seemed at the time would best us. Not while we had each other.

Our house was close to the Great Hall, fortunately, and the walk was quick. Stormfly had found a home in the corner on the ground floor while Toothless returned to his rock; Hiccup and I finding a place to rest near the firepit. Resuming our sitting position, we hadn't shared for days, with his arms around me as I sat partially on his lap and just gazing into the firelight. I feel his lips kiss my neck and I smile.

"Am I making the right call here, Astrid?" He asks and I can sense the uncertainty in his voice. He acted like every decision he made was being judged by the gods and like he had to be perfect.

"Yes. Everyone needs a break, like I said before, they are your soldiers but even soldiers need a break to be people sometimes. This is good for them. About everything else, yes." I answer simply and feel him shift.

"Yes? Just, yes?" He repeats and I nod.

"Hiccup, you're making decisions that affect everyone here as a whole. And you're trying to do what's best for everyone as a whole. I have your back, one hundred percent, and I always will. You need to make these choices, and you need to be supported by those around you." I answer and his grip around my waist tightens as he rests his chin on my shoulder.

"It does help knowing you have my back, Astrid, tremendously." He answers and I smile.

"Always." I return and he kisses my neck again, causing me to release a deep breath and a smile.

"So, I was thinking. Want to get away for a couple days, maybe head to the spring? Just us? Some good old rest and relaxation?" He asks and my smile widens.

"I'd love that, but what if something happens while we're gone…" I ask softly and I can feel him sigh lightly.

"Sometimes I hate being Chief." He says softly and I nod. Life was simpler before he had been made chief for sure, and the circumstances behind his ascension were harrowing ones.

"Stoick would be proud of you, Hiccup." I say softly. "You've not given up yet, you've persevered, you've won." I add and I rotate slightly to look at him and cup his cheek in my hand, bringing his face closer to mine so I can brush my lips against his against the fire light. "And I couldn't be prouder."

"You always know just what to say." He whispers and kisses me passionately, soon I feel his tongue trace my lips, requesting access to dance with mine. Granting it, our lips press further together as our tongues weave around each other, my position slowly moving from sitting partially on his lap to fully on his lap, facing him as our lips never part.

Our dragons had fortunately become accustomed to our displays of affection and deigned not to care when we showed such in front of them. Even through our cloths, my hips practically, involuntarily, grinding against his while our lips remained locked. Foregoing breath in favor of each other, we both pushed until our kiss was broken by our sheer need to breath properly. Leaving both of us panting and gazing into each other's eyes as I smile, kissing him again mid pant. Lungs be damned, I wasn't done yet and neither was he. When we finally parted the second time, we were both out of breath and left breathing heavily trying to recover it, our eyes still locked as our lips still curved into a smile.

"I could. Do that. Just that. All night." He says softly between breaths as I bite my lip and nod.

"Me too. And more." I answer breathlessly, leaning in and biting his lower lip lightly before pulling back.

"So, we stay in town but stay here. Just in case something happens but otherwise, just with each other." He suggests and I nod with a smile.

"That sounds like a plan to me. Day is still young too, a whole lot of opportunities for us to explore, don't you think?" I ask teasingly as I feel his hands drift from my hips to my rear and tighten their grip as I grind down lower, biting his neck as he lets loose a shuddered sigh.

"So. Many. Opportunities." He repeats as I pull back, he scowls playfully. "You're horrible." He retorts and I shrug.

"Maybe, but you love me." I answer with a smile and he nods, leaning up and kissing me, bringing my down to him as he smiles.

"With everything I have." He finishes and our lips lock once again.

I had no idea what the future may hold, what even tomorrow may hold but I knew what today was going to hold. It was going to hold Hiccup and I entwined in each other's arms, exploring each other's bodies and celebrating our victory. I could honestly, happily live naked in his arms for days on end, just exploring each other together. The sheer experience of giving myself, body and soul, to Hiccup and him doing the same to me was euphoric and unquestionable. I never once doubted my decision to encourage us deflowering before our wedding. I never doubted what we did together, what we were going to continue doing together. No, I encouraged it. I wanted it, because I wanted him; I wanted to feel him inside me, I wanted to taste him like he wanted to taste me. It was an intimate relationship built on friendship but transcended with intimacy. I'd never know this feeling with another person, nor would I want too.

And honestly, all I could think of in these very moments of heat and passion was taking him up the stairs or leaving him on this chair before the firepit. Shredding our clothing and letting him take me then me taking him, taking each other. Pleasing each other. I couldn't hardly think of anything else and luckily for me; for at least the next few days, I wouldn't have to think of anything else but that. Even a two-day vacation in this manner was a vacation none the less, and I wouldn't waste a second of it.


	48. Repose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

The distanced sound of traffic outside muffled by the sound of crackling wood under the firepit's intense flame lit the mostly darkened house in the cloudy winter day. The skies outside were calm but overcast as far as the eye can see, the winds were constant and carried with them the cool air off the sea. The sun hides behind the clouds and its heat hardly penetrates to the ground below. It would be a cold winter this year, not that that changed from any other year. Snowfall would come soon, sooner than the end to this trapper war that we had hoped was over years ago. With the capture of Krogan, him barred and chained until his fate was determined at the Summit of Chiefs, our own Chief was granted a brief repose from his duty to protect the dragons and people of the Archipelago.

We hadn't left the house since we returned from the morning meeting at the Great Hall. There were no duties that required Hiccup's attention; to task that Gobber hadn't offered to cover in his stead. As Chief, Hiccup's reign has been an anomaly compared to others; for now, Gobber, among many others such as Eret, Valka and I were trusted to act for him. This made his daily duties far more limited to the most pertinent; while Fishlegs was often left handling newborns, Valka would tend to newly weds and Snotlout saw to the militia. The twins had even been given the run of Thunderear while Gobber managed the docks and duties at the Hall. It was systematically done to both help spread the responsibility and also because, while Hiccup would do everything, everyone knew that and didn't want him too. It had given us the leeway we needed for quality alone time, not rushed.

Today, until the dinner at the Great Hall, would be just us. No worries after, and we would return here with each other with no stress. For once, we could think of nothing but each other, it was a rare feat. Something that neither of us would soon take for granted; I hadn't felt taken for granted since watching Dagur and Mala first announce their engagement. Since then, even with the trials and tribulations we've gone through, Hiccup has always made time for us. Unlike other Viking couples, where one partner may grow to resent the other or not value their company; that was not the case with us. We soaked in each other's presence, reveled in it, as we have been for some time today.

Our cloths had long since been lost as we lay naked near the firelight. The front door locked from being barged open, we lay secure as we had been exploring, it had been a spree. I lay bare before him as I felt the cool water from a rag drip over me, each dip of the water prompting me to shiver and gasp as it was soon followed by his lips connecting to the spot and replacing the cold with the feeling of his warmth. His finger trailed my body from my neck to my chest, down my abdomen, slowly encircling around my sensitive area as his lips kissed back up and found one of my bare and erect nipples. He lavished it with tender kisses before lathering it with his tongue, giving each nipple equal attention as I felt him slowly slide a finger inside me from down below. His attention prompting me to moan as I bite down on the rag he had since set down to stifle a louder moan as he kisses up to my face. Removing the rag and kissing me passionately, his lips press fully into mine as his tongue need not even ask for permission before meeting mine in their tender dance. Him still sliding his single finger in and out, exploring the entrance to my sensitive area; sliding in and out, exploring inside with each movement. My moans filtering through his lips as our tongues continue their dance. Fighting for air, I did not want to feel his lips leave mine even though I knew I had to breath, and my nose was unable to help me as our heads bobbed left and right, our lips remaining fully together as we explored each other.

It wasn't long until the kiss was forcibly broken by as both as he leans over me, his eyes gazing deeply into mine as we pant to regain our breath. This was increasingly harder for me as he hadn't slowed his finger's movements, my soft moans and whimpers only fueling him to continue as I try to catch my breath without wanting him to stop. I reach up and pull his head back down to my lips, pressing them together again as our tongues resume their dance. Neither of us fully caught of breath, but that didn't matter because I just wanted to feel him. Pulling apart again sooner, I feel my legs shake as he slips a second finger inside with me barely able to stifle my moans. He leans down, panting, near my hear as I bite my lip when I feel his warm breath against my ear and neck.

"I love hearing the sounds you make." He whispers before biting my neck softly, kissing the place he had bitten before biting there again as I let loose a long-shuddered moan.

"O-Only. For. You… Ahh-ha, Hiccup!" I reply as he helps me reach my climax and my legs shake and my hips rock involuntarily. He kisses back up to my lips and soon our tongues reengage as he continues moving his fingers within me against my rocking hips. I can feel my eyes roll back as I moan into his mouth, not fighting it anymore and giving way completely to the feeling he is giving me. After several more minutes, my hips finally relax and our lips fully part; leaving us panting for breath and staring into each other's eyes as he smiles.

"Let me help clean you up." He says teasingly and I bite my lip and smile as he crawls down my body slowly. Rolling my head back as I grip the sides of the table near the fire pit we had claimed, I feel the heat of my body and the air of the enclosed house. We had become so much more comfortable with each other in recent days that things like this were no longer awkward, they were enticing. I feel him hook my legs around his shoulders as he levels against my waist, and soon I feel his tongue and lips slowly begin to explore and layer my area with tender affection, prompting my eyes to roll and yet another moan to escape my lips. I had grown so fond of feeling his touch, it had become something I wanted to feel, something I needed, that I loved to feel.

He was doing more than cleaning anything up as I felt his tongue explore the same areas his finger did moments earlier, his lips wrapping around the entrance as I feel their pressure. My already hyper-sensitive area feels as though it is on the verge again from his relentless affection that I can almost get lost in the feeling of it all. Drowning in the intoxicating feelings he is giving me as he props my hips against his shoulders, letting him dive his tongue in just a little bit deeper. My legs hook over his back and I let go my stifled voice to release a full on moan, nearly forgetting what time of day it is or where we are in the feeling of it all. My back arches as my legs shudder and shake again against his affection and soon I feel a second climax from just his tongue after his fingers. Though he doesn't relent, and instead drinks it all up until my hips are no longer grinding against him. My back slowly lowers back to the table and I open my eyes slowly as I look down towards him. I see him gazing up at me with a smile before he lightly kisses my down there once more and slowly starts making his way back up. My sensitive body over-reacting with each touch as his takes time kissing and licking each nipple before finding my neck and collarbone.

"Hi-hiccup." I let a small moan out as he continues his way up until he finally reaches my lips. I take his head and grab it, pressing our lips together. I can taste a little bit of myself on his lips and tongue as our tongues resume their dance and lips press fully together. I roll on top of him and break the kiss, pinning his arms down as I smile, gazing down on him and lick my lips, then lick his.

"You've gotten way to good at that." I whisper softly, teasingly, as I sit on his stiff member, not letting it enter me.

"You deserve the best." He answers with a smile and I laugh lightly, shaking my head and leaning in to kiss him again.

"Everyone should be as lucky to love someone like you." I answer softly as I grind my hips teasingly against his.

"To this day, I still think I am the lucky one, Astrid." He answers and I smile. Leaning in to brush my nose to his as I kiss him lightly.

"Let me show you how lucky we both are." I answer softly, running my hands down his chest as I sit up and slowly start sliding down his legs, keeping my hips pressed against him the whole way down.

*********************************

It was something else to watch this beautiful woman, to hold her body in my arms, hear the words she spoke only for me and me alone. It was truly something I held dear, any moment, any time we spent together was cherished. Every second we spent together, wrapped in each other's arms, exploring each other's body, pleasuring each other to the point that our bodies reached their own peak and exploded; every since one of those seconds was like a still frame in time I could live in for eternity. Every sultry word that was spoken, every meaningful gaze that we shared, each breathless kiss that we connected through was a blessing from the gods that I would no sooner forsake than a dragon would forsake its own.

She needn't show me how lucky we both are, for I knew long ago how lucky I was that I was the one she had chosen. The signs were there from our times as kids; looking back, she always had a protective nature over me. It evolved over time into what it is today, a nature far beyond mere protection or admiration but true unabashed love.

Feeling her body grind and ride against mine, feeling her skin and her sweat as she slides down my legs with her hands sliding across my chest was enough to make anyone squirm in anticipation. I had always made a point to ensure she was pleased, to give her what she needed first, to pleasure her before I even though of receiving pleasure myself. It was an unspoken thing between us, and while not one hundred percent, it was something I tried to do every time. I don't love her only for her body, or her passion; they are certainly things I love about her, but not what drives me. In moments like these, I could forget about everything that wasn't her and just be happily lost within her.

I could feel her hands wrap around my hard member as she wedges herself in between my legs, her lips barely touching the very tip of my member as she slides her hands up and down. Balancing herself on her elbows as she gazes up at me, watching my body writhe under her affection, under her attention, as she increases her stroking. I feel her tongue trace the base of my member all the way to the tip before her lips wrap themselves entirely around it. Repositioning slight, she moves to slide my member inside her mouth, back and forth, going as deep down her throat as she can before coming back up. Her hands making up the difference in length with her stroking. I was already hypersensitive after drinking in her own presence that I soon felt like I could explode. Arching my back and stretching my legs as I find her shoulders.

"A-Astrid. I'm ab-about to…" I struggle to say as she just bobs her head faster, her tongue lathering every inch with each bob. I could hardly fight it as my hands hold her shoulders and my hips grind up against her as I feel myself release inside of her mouth. She slows her bob slight but doesn't stop, her stroking continuing slowly as she swallows all of it before releasing my member with a smile and softly stroking it, still resting in between my legs.

"Is it weird that I like the taste?" She asks playfully and I laugh lightly, shaking my head.

"I like the way you taste, so, no?" I say in somewhat a questioning way as she smiles.

"Good, now, I…" She begins, pausing and looking at my member, still slowly stroking my member as it had grown softer since exploding, though I can already feel it hardening again.

"You?" I question aloud as she looks back up to me with a smile, it is getting harder with each stroke in her hand.

"I want to feel you inside me." She says quietly, releasing her stroke and sliding back up my body, her legs finding their way outside my own as she rests her hips a top mine. My member growing in stiffness at her words as she presses her own special area against my member. The wetness lathering it as she grinds her hips to mine, sliding my member against the entrance to hers, her lips down there wrapping around my member as she sits tall, her hands resting on my chest as mine find their way to her hips.

"Your wish is my desire." I answer with a growing smile as I intentionally tense my member up, watching her bite her lip as she feels the stiffness return beneath her. Using one of her hands, she guides my member to the entry and slowly slides it all the way in. Having lathered it with her own wetness, it slid right in and felt like a perfect fit for a sword and sheath perfectly designed for one another.

"Mmm-ugh." She exclaims softly, closing her eyes as the full girth and length of my member is completely pushed inside of her, down to the base. I see her roll her eyes as she stops rocking her hips briefly, just feeling it. I feel her muscles tighten around me as I smile, my hands still on her hips as I start rocking my hips for her, moving my member within her as she moans and smiles, her own hips resuming their grinding motion against the movement of mine.

With a practiced efficiency, my stiff member throbs and moves around within her, fully filling her in every angle, with every inch, each movement prompting a moan from each of us. Each movement provoking her muscles to tighten more around me as my member throbs. Soon thereafter, her movement increases, back and forth, towards my feet, towards my face, back and forth as I grind and rock my hips up and down, pushing up as deep as I can within her. Our bodies already sensitive from the attention beforehand, it wasn't long until her movement became more passionate.

"Hiccup. Hi-hiccup. F-faster. Pl-please." She stuttered softly as she upped her own pace, prompting me to up my own.

"As-Astrid. I-I. Love. You." I respond as I increase my speed, pressing up faster, turning each upward motion into a thrust as she moans and intakes breath sharply with each thrust. Her hips grinding faster back and forth against me as her wetness is layering my own groin area.

"H-h-Hiccup. I. L-love. Yo-youuu." She answers breathlessly as her words soon become immeasurable moans as her legs shake and she throws her head back, her hands finding my shoulders to help her rock her hips harder and faster against mine. Leaning all the way down, we struggle for our lips to press completely together but we find a way as her grip on my shoulders tighten and mine on her hips pulls her further down. I'd been pulling her ups down with each upward thrust, ensuring she felt every single inch of me fill her body, each one giving me a beautiful moan of pure pleasure. I felt her muscles tighten one last time around me as she climaxed against my hips and slowed her own rocking motion, though my thrusts continued. As I had just exploded not too long ago thanks to her skillful tongue, I was able to push more and could feel that each thrust I gave her after her climax had been one of extra sensitivity with each moan stronger and sharper.

I finally felt myself building the heat to explode within her and I didn't even waste time. "Astrid… Here I… here I come!" I say against her lips as I feel her hips start moving faster, revitalized in their movement against mine as she tightens herself around me again as I thrust up, feeling myself explode within her as I bite her neck, moaning into her shoulder as she moans into my ear. I feel myself filling her up as both our hips rock together in near unison before my grip on her hips loosen and her body lies passively on top of mine. Still leaving my member within her as she rests her head against my chest, she slides her hands down my body and finds mine, our fingers interlocking as we just lay there. Feeling each other's heart beats, our sweat, our warmth.

"I could stay like this forever." She whispers against my chest as I lean my head back and smile.

"As could I, laying with this beautiful, naked woman whose body is entwined with my own." I answer and I can feel her smile as our hands release and she crawls up slightly, pressing her lips to mine. Our tongues were far past asking for any permission and had already met as soon as our lips were fully together, her bobbing her head against mine, diving her tongue deep against mine as I feel her hand on my cheek. My own hands resting on her hips which still rested against mine, my softening member still comfortably resting within her. These tongue-locked kisses we often found ourselves in were intoxicating, the act as much as looking into her eyes as she breathlessly pants to regain her breath as our lips finally part with a look of pure lust and passionate desire filling her eyes. It was a look I would never grow tired of seeing on her when she gazed upon me, and it was a good feeling knowing I did that to her.

This was not something I would want to end anytime soon, and fortunately we had the next several days to continue enjoying each other. That said, soon it would be time for the celebration of Krogan's Capture feast the people of Berk had opted to throw, one where I'd announce our plans for the summit in full and lay the groundwork for the tertiary dragon rider team. Until then, though, I would revel in Astrid's presence, and after the first, go back to worshipping her body, heart, mind and soul like I am now. It was a good day, and I was with a good woman, and the horizon finally looked a little brighter.


	49. Twilight Carouse

The day together was long, lustrous and filled with passion that we hardly noticed the transition from morning to day to afternoon. The people of Berk had decided among themselves to host a celebratory feast in honor of the Riders and our recent victory against Krogan. Astrid and I had spent the majority of the day consumed with each other and nothing else. Soaking in each other's presence, drinking in each other's passion, I could honestly spend every day like this and never tire of it. That being said, there comes a time when duty must take precedence, and this was one such situation. We had since helped to clean each other up and redressed before parting ways. We first took a lap around the island with Toothless and Stormfly to stretch their wings, our dragons had seen less attention as of late, but they shockingly seemed to be relatively okay with the reasoning. After our lap, we parted ways as Astrid headed to the Great Hall to help coordinate the feast and I headed to the cells to check in on Krogan.

Magnus and Bjorn were the two on watch, both armed and alert, they knew who we were dealing with. This wasn't like when Bucket was watching Heather all those years ago, Krogan was a trained killer and any slip up would result in numerous deaths. The two larger Vikings nodded to me as I approached and opened the door for me, shutting it behind me as I entered with Toothless. I hear Krogan's sinister, low laugh echo down the hallway as I approach the large, sealed cell door.

"Ha ha ha, well, hello, Chief. I wasn't aware I was allowed visitors. Please, to what do I owe this pleasure." He says coolly, sitting in the darkest corner of the cell. His eyes barely visible against the torchlight.

"Oh, ya know. Just making sure your nice and cozy, had your spoon of water and potato for the day. Don't want you to starve now." I retort with a shrug as he laughs again, standing and pacing.

"Do you really view this is some major victory? With or without me, the Warlords will continue their work and eventually, the great Dragon-topia that is Berk will crumble." Krogan states as I shake my head.

"Tell me something. Why do you hate dragons? Why do you think we can't live in harmony with them? They are not beasts, they are intelligent, caring creatures on Thor's Earth that only want to live in harmony with us. Where does your hatred stem?" I ask as he nods slowly during his pacing.

"I've no hatred for anything but you, my boy. I've underestimated you and lost to you multiple times. Your ingenuity surprises me, even to this day. Few have succeeded in besting me so readily as you do, and it has grown irksome. I took this job for the chance to kill you. Alas, I seem to have failed, but the longer you keep me alive, the more chance I have to escape and complete it. So, your large heart will ultimately be your death." Krogan answers as I shake my head. How am I supposed to reason with someone who is inherently without reason?

"Alright, I tried. Currently, you are going to remain behind these bars for the foreseeable future, eating nothing but a potato and a single spoon of water a day until the Chief's of the Archipelago decide your fate. You will be joined by your warlords over time, and you will have nothing to hold you except your own hatred. I hope you can live with that, good day. You won't see me again for some time, Krogan." I say and walk away, though I can hear his words being spoken I choose not to listen. At this point, anything he says is either a ruse or something meant to goad me into being irrational. We had a plan, a good one, and I wouldn't see it mucked up. Walking back out, I glance to Bjorn. "No one goes in there without my permission unless it's to give him his rations, no less than two at this door." I state and he and Magnus nod.

"You got it, Chief. We'll pass the word." Bjorn answers and I nod, clasping him on the shoulder and smiling.

"Make sure you two have your relief cover you in time to join us at the Great Hall. It'll be a true party and it wouldn't be the same if everyone can't make an appearance." I add and they both nod.

"We'll see ya there, Chief!" Magnus replies and I nod, leaving them on Toothless and taking a low flight of the town and island, slowly watching everything below me with Toothless as the sun begins to set on the horizon.

I can see the last crates on the docks being rolled up to the Great Hall by Bucket and Mulch as the full force of Berks fleet finds itself harbored. We weren't as strong as the days before the Red Death, as she had taken dozens of ships from us in a breath, and then Drago's Leviathan wiping out even more. We still had a little over two dozen ships though, when fully manned, were a force to be reckoned with.

I can see a pair of flyers circling above in the sky, it looked like Spitelout and Gustov. Those two had always offered to take the odd shifts or the longer ones to give the rest of the A team time to do their other tasks or relax. I had truly grown proud of how Gustov had grown over the years, a truly capable rider. They were doing shifts in the air to allow our boats to dock so everyone could enjoy the celebration tonight.

Circling back down towards the market area, I can see Gobber leaving the Forge on Grump and making his way to the Great Hall, either oblivious of me or too focused to care. Besides him, I can see packs of Vikings slowly making their way to the Great Hall in droves, several peeling off and laying a flower at the feet of my Father's statue. It was heartwarming to see.

Flying back up and around towards the Academy, I can spot the rafters for the dragon races that hadn't been held in over two months. What with Krogan, the Warlords, the ongoing war against the Trappers; we just hadn't had the time. The last one we held was a week after Drago's defeat as homage to my father, but then things just started going downhill. I suppose I sort of fell into a state of depression at being thrust into the role of Chief while losing my father in the process. Two things I never wanted to have, that were forced upon me at the same junction. It was a trying time those days, but Astrid had truly helped me through the darkest part of it and I am glad to say that she is with me.

Maybe that is something that needs to be rekindled. The Dragon Races, but expanding them, more than just a race between the riders. Incorporate the A team, the Tertiary team, all those who fly in passing for fun. Different levels, different challenges. Something to help keep the morale up amid a war, it wasn't something we always needed to do, but it was something that we could do when we had the time to help the people and the riders, the dragons know that our lives were not centric on a war for peace but that we could also enjoy peace.

I think I like that idea, something to toss to Astrid and the others during the feast and announce it tonight, something to help liven the night and increase moral even more. Dark times were ahead of us as we prepared to contest an armada of nearly two hundred ships bent up upheaving us from our peaceful ways. Dark times need not overshadow bright moments that shine through the darkness and help guide us through the patches. If something as trivial as a Dragon Race can help us, it's worth it, for the people's and the dragon's sake.

I had a new hope, a new resolve. I wouldn't let Krogan's ill-will or the ill-will of the trappers darken our way of life. No. Pulling back on Toothless, I head towards the Great Hall. I can see the large doors still wide open and the light bursting out as most of the town had made their way there already. Landing outside, for the first time, I didn't feel awkward being their Chief as we had a successful mission, and this feast was their own choice. I had an idea that they would all enjoy, and we could move on without making it any more awkward than it needs to be, and just enjoy the party. Boy, did that thought not make it past the pair of large doors.

*********************************

"Are you sure about this?" I hear Fishlegs ask next to me as the last few people file into the Great Hall. Glancing around, I note everyone already having found their seats and drinking mead while the largest table near the Chief's Table was lined with food enough to feed a couple islands. "Astrid!" Fishlegs calls back, jarring me back to look at him as I nod and smile.

"I mean, sure? No, not really. You know how much Hiccup loves being the center of attention. This was their idea, Fishlegs. I can't just tell them to not celebrate his victory." I answer and he shrugs.

"You know what he's going to say, right?" Fishlegs asks and I nod.

"That it wasn't his victory, it was ours. That he is no more important than any one Viking here. Yes. I know." I retort and he nods.

"Pretty much. Okay, well, he should be here soon. I just hope he doesn't turn around and walk out!" Fishlegs exclaims as the twins laugh.

"Oh, we won't let him. Look, up there. Barf and Belch are waiting over the door. They'll shut it after our Fearless Leader enters. Then, good old brother Snot will pick him up and throw him into the sea of sitting Vikings, where he will travel on a wave of their hands to the front as we chant. It. Will. Be. Glorious." Tuffnut outlines his vision, to the partial horror of both Fishlegs and I.

"Uh, yeah, that was good up til Snotlout picking him up and throwing him. Let's just drop that and everything after it. Leave Barf and Belch shutting the door." I suggest and both twins roll their eyes.

"And in comes Astrid, the party pooper." Tuffnut retorts as Ruffnut nods.

"It's like a gift she has, just able to suck away any and all joy from our ideas. She's like, an Anti-Thorston." Ruffnut adds as I smack my palm to my forehead, remembering the twins serve a purpose speech Hiccup always touted.

"Really, guys?" I exclaim softly as I hear them both snicker. I can hardly ever tell when they are being serious or not in their shenanigans, Hiccup is one of the only ones who can ever actually control them to any degree of success.

"I still can't believe you want me to lead it, me, of all people. You want a Jorgenson to applaud a Haddock." Snotlout exclaims as I shake my head.

"No. I want Snotlout to applaud his Chief. Look, you give him a harder time than anyone else on the team. That said, everyone knows you support him. Show your support again now and I'll even promise not to punch you for a whole week." I add and Fishlegs and the twins gasp.

"Astrid, can you keep that promise? You punching Snotlout is like second nature whenever he says something muttonheaded." Fishlegs asks and I just shrug with a smile.

"FINE! No punching, a whole week. I'll hold you to that. My ribs already feel better." Snotlout adds as the rest of us laugh.

"I hear him!" I hear someone murmur down the line as most Vikings in the hall quiet down and my cheeks flush red. It was an odd feeling to surprise him, but he deserved this. He is often doubting himself, his ability to lead us properly that a good show of confidence from his people would do wonders.

I see Hiccup and Toothless walk in, and I can't fight the smile that creases my lips as his eyes trace the room and find mine. He certainly looks a wee bit suspicious as now everyone in the Great Hall is looking towards him and Toothless as he enters past the threshold of the door and I see Barf and Belch move just enough above him to close the doors behind him. As the doors slide shut, the hall erupts.

"TO OUR CHIEF! HICCUP HADDOCK THE THIRD! We have captured the Ruthless Krogan and our victories will only continue!" Snotlout exclaims, approaching Hiccup who is literally trying to back out of the room in an uncomfortable posture it's almost adorable to watch as Fishlegs raises his cup.

"To Chief Hiccup!" Fishlegs shouts out and everyone in the hall follows suit as Gobber props himself on the center of the room with a large set of pipes.

"And now, Vikings and Vikings, eat, drink, dance and sing. This be a party!" Gobber calls out and starts playing his music which has almost gotten better over the years, hard to really tell but he is certainly one of the better musicians in the town.

"Hooligan Tribe, won't you come out tonight! Come out Tonight! Come out Tonight! Hooligan Tribe, won't you come out Tonight, or Die by the light of the moon! Oh, by the light of the moon!" Several dozen Vikings call out in unison with Gobbers music as Hiccup finds his way to me, his cheeks rosary red as he is shaking his head.

"Was this your idea?" He whispers softly and I shrug softly with a smile.

"Not… entirely? Look." I say, grabbing his shoulder and turning him to see our people. "These are your people, celebrating your victory against Krogan. This was all of their ideas. You make a hundred plus decisions a day, and many of them lead us to great things. I know you think you aren't perfect, or that you need to be right one hundred percent of the time. But, you are all of those things; you never give up." I finish, turning him back to me and kissing him. "This party is for all of us."

"On that note, I have an idea. Restarting the Dragon Races. Trapper war or no, we can't let their ways stop our ways from thriving. I was thinking about it on the flight tonight. Tiers. Casual, intermediate and expert level races. Lets everyone beyond just the Riders compete and have fun. Thoughts?" He asks and I smile, placing a hand on his chest and nodding.

"I love it, you should tell everyone." I add and he nods, both of us turning and waving down Gobber to get his attention. It takes a minute and both of us walking up to the center stage to get him to quiet down.

"People O' Berk! Yer Chief has something he wants to say!" Gobber adds, helping Hiccup up as I stay down and watch. Hiccup's eyes find mine and we share a smile as I nod, and he takes a breath.

"Uh, yeah. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We won't break in our resolve to build a peaceful utopia for both dragons and humans to live in harmony. This victory in the capture of Krogan is a large one, and the first of many. This war with the trappers will likely be long, but that doesn't mean our way of life has to be controlled by it." Hiccup begins. "With that in mind, It is my thought to restart the Dragon Races!" He says and there is a literal, thundering cheer that echoes in the hall. "But more, I want to make there be multiple levels, that way, anyone from the casual flyer and their dragon, to the most experienced Riders we have can compete on fair ground in varying brackets! It'll serve as a means to help us blow off steam, to help us train and grow with our dragons and to solidify our way of life!" He finishes and the same thundering cheer echoes across the walls as he smiles. "On that note, let's shake the walls with our party tonight!" He beckons and everyone cheers once again as he climbs back down, Gobber giving him a proud nod and, if I didn't know better, I'd say the older Viking had a tear in his eye. He resumed his music, and several varying Vikings resumed their singing as many others ate and drank.

Snotlout and the others approached us with a laugh. "Oh, Chief, what an idea. I love it. It's about time we started the race up again. Hooky and I haven't won a medal in a little while and could use another one." Snotlout states proudly as I roll my eyes and Hiccup chuckles, his arm finding its way around my waist pulling me closer.

"Uh, Snotlout. You've literally never won a Dragon Race." Fishlegs adds and he groans.

"Oh, and you have, Fishface?!" He retorts as Fishlegs nods.

"Actually, yes, the very first legit race. You remember, the one where you and the twins cheated." Fishlegs adds as the Twins walk up waving their hands.

"Hey, woah, woah. Cheat is such a strong word." Tuffnut begins

"One might say it is a deceptive word for what actually transpired in said instance in which Fishlegs is referring." Ruffnut adds

"Right you are, sister. Anyways, Astrid is like, the only one who won those." Tuffnut adds as I smile knowingly as Snotlout groans again.

"Uh, yeah. Cause Hiccup would grab all the sheep and toss them in her bucket! Why do you even play?" Snotlout adds, looking to both Hiccup and I as we shrug, glancing at each other and smiling knowingly.

"Seeing you lose is it's own reward." I retort as he groans and we all slowly make our way to the table to eat and drink.

Hiccup and I enjoy a night watching the crowd eat and drink together and as the dancing starts, I feel his hand tighten around mine and pull me up. Glancing up to him, his smiling gaze looking down at me as he nods to the center area of the room where Gobber has just begun a new toon. Several Vikings are singing a new tune and several more are dancing. Yanking me up, I feel him pull me to the center area and one of his arms wraps around my waist as his other takes my hand. Kissing me solidly in front of everyone present, he nods.

"Can I have this dance?" He asks, and though our bodies were already dancing, my flushed red face and smile had only just accepted his offer.

"Absolutely." I reply softly and rest a hand on his shoulder, gripping his other hand tight as he leads me in tune with the music. We spend much of the night like that, in between dancing and taking a drink of mead, we were up and, on our feet, moving for what felt like hours. Dancing with or for the entire village without a care in the world, random applause, continued heartfelt laughter and singing coupling the music was none stop and only fueled it. This was a taste of peace, something we could live every day once the trapper war was over. I'd fight for that day to come to pass and to just be able to enjoy my time with Hiccup without another care in the world.


	50. The Dragon Race

Hiccup wasted no time in getting to work on the Dragon Races, spending a good deal of time after the party working out some ideas for the Dragon Race with me before we finally ended up going to bed, comfortably in each other's arms. It was early morning when we both woke up with a goal in mind, heading towards the Academy on our dragons to lay Hiccups plan into motion before the sun had even crested the horizon.

The idea stood strong, there would be three tiers of races: casual, intermediate and expert. That being said, we adapted some of his ideas and expanded on them. To be eligible to be a Berg Guard Rider for either the Auxiliary or Tertiary Teams, you had to win the Expert level races which would include riders like myself, Hiccup, Snotlout and the other experienced riders. It would still be a capture the sheep idea, but there would also be certain routes a rider had to take that required a certain level of expertise.

The casual level was meant to help anyone looking to learn proper riding and coordination with their dragon; there would be a winner here, but the casual level was in good sport. This was solely capturing the sheep around the main peak of Berk and the town, no real danger zones or risk.

The intermediate level would be used to help get people more in tune and experience more complicated races, like going through a forest or the sea stacks. This level had two categories, capture the sheep and speed racing. This would be more competitive but still allow a bridge for casual riders to learn and gain more experience.

"I think this may work, Astrid." Hiccup says, walking up to me, outlining several different paths around the island.

"Me too, think we can get one organized today? I think it'd do everyone really well. We can keep it just with the riders and try out the Expert course. Sven should still have the locations for the sheep launchers with Gobber, and Bucket and Mulch love announcing them." I say, placing a hand on his shoulder as he nods. The sun was just starting to rise, and we had gotten so much done. I think this was as much for him as it was for the people, and that was okay.

"Yeah, I do." Hiccup answers, pecking me lightly on the lips as I hold his vest when he pulls away.

"One thing, this time, Hiccup." I say, narrowing my eyes with my lips curling into a smile.

"Just the one?" Hiccup teases as I roll my eyes and laugh.

"For now. This race, I want you to give it all you've got; for you. Beat me, if you think you can." I playfully say, pressing my finger to his chest as he lets me push him back.

"Oh, ho, ho. I see, the mighty Astrid thinks she can keep up with Toothless and Hiccup at our fastest." Hiccup retorts playfully as he taps his finger against mine. "Are you sure you want to go this way, milady?" He asks slyly and I bite my lip, nodding.

"Absolutely." I answer softly, smiling.

"And what are the stakes of this private wager?" He asks and I shrug, smiling.

"I'll tell you when I beat you." I retort and he smiles, nodding slowly.

"So be it, I look forward to it." He answers, pecking me on the lips again. "That said, let's go spread the word. We've got a big day today, let's make it our most epic race yet." Hiccup says and I nod.

Together, we both break away and head in varying directions around the city. Hiccup rounded up Sven, Gobber, Mulch and Bucket. Giving them the full low down and using them to spread the word while I rounded up the riders and gave them the information. The race was going to start before high noon and was going to be a big one. It didn't take much to get everyone excited about it and before long we all found ourselves back at the Academy where the rafters had been built.

"Alright, gang. Here's what we're looking at. Eight total laps with the first seven being the build. A total of eighteen sheep will be grabbable during these laps, all worth one point. Only Sven's sheep, which are all marked. No other sheep, no changing their dye." Hiccup begins as I follow his gaze towards the twins.

"Why does it seem like he is staring at us?" Tuffnut quietly asks Ruffnut who shrugs.

"The eighth lap will launch the Black Sheep, which is worth ten points. Once the black sheep is bagged, Race is over. Course takes us through the surrounding sea stacks, the glaciers, the forest and the whispering death tunnels below. This is the expert level course of the races, and will be the first line to what we consider qualifications to become a member of the Berk Dragon Guard. Any questions?" Hiccup asks as Tuffnut nods.

"Yes, question. Will there be explosions?" Tuffnut asks as I sigh.

"No, Tuff." Hiccup answers, shaking his head as Tuffnut gasps.

"Why in Thor's name not? There should be explosions. How many explosions do we dodge on a daily basis? What about harpoons? Nets? Boolas?! Let's make this Expert Level course worthy of the name; Expert!" Tuffnut exclaims as Ruffnut nods.

"Uh huh, I concur! There should also be catapults and arrows… with paint, of course. Dragonroot wouldn't make an effective race…" Ruffnut adds as I think on it briefly.

"That's actually not all bad." Hiccup admits. I agree for the most part. "Alright, we'll revisit that idea later, for now. No, no explosions, arrows or anything like that." Hiccup answers.

"Okay, if the Twinidiots are done with whatever that was, I've got a question. Are you going to race, and if you do, are you going to actually race for yourself?" Snotlout asks Hiccup directly as I glance to Hiccup with a smile. His gaze finds mine and his lips curl into their own smile as we both slightly nod.

"Yes, indeed. Snotlout. I will be both racing and scoring my own points." Hiccup answers and I smile.

"Uh, oh. Trouble in Hiccstrid land?" Snotlout says sarcastically, standing aback and glancing at me as I shake my head and groan.

"Not even remotely, Snotlout." I say through a sigh, though I withhold my growing desire to punch him in the gut.

"Okay, okay. Back up, it's just some friendly competition between betrothed. It happens all the time before Viking Unions, come on, guys." Fishlegs adds as Hiccup and I shrug in unison, our gazes still softly on one another.

"Alright, head to your pens, that'll be the set-up areas. Set up your paint and be ready." Hiccup says and everyone nods, heading towards their given dragon pens in the academy. I can already see people starting to filter in as Bucket and Mulch and their Zippleback have already found their way to the announcer's chair. As I make my way to Stormfly's pen, I hadn't noticed Hiccup followed me with his own bucket of paint until I turned around.

"Hope you don't mind sharing?" He asks softly, setting the bucket down and walking up to me, kissing me lightly on the lips as I smile, shaking my head.

"Not at all. What's mine is yours. Here, let me help you." I say quietly, dipping my fingers into his red paint and running it across his cheek in his customary, simply, double lines. He smiles as I finish the second cheek and nods.

"Let me help you." He whispers, and taking my own paint, glides his finger across my face, helping outline the design he had memorized. While doing so, I noticed a dagger on his left forearm gauntlet, the same one that I had made for him. It made me smile seeing it incorporated into his suit. I wore mine in my boot. When he finished the design, I took his hand and leaned up, kissing him softly under the safety of the dragon pen.

"Good luck." I whisper against his lips as he smiles.

"To you, as well." He answers before pressing his lips to mine. We linger a moment before parting and during towards our dragons. We spend the next while painting our dragons in a comfortable, passive talk with each other about the day and race to come. Before long, we hear the first bell and as I peer out, I can see the rafters have filled with hundreds of Vikings and even more perched dragons. This was going to be a race to remember.

*********************************

I can feel the rush of blood through my body as we all stand on our dragons, ready for the bell to be told and the race to start. The sound of the chanting Vikings and roar of the countless Dragons perched as they watch their Alpha and other riders' race. It was a different sort of rush as I glanced to Astrid who knowingly returned the gaze to me right before the bell told. There was a thunderous cheer echoing around as all of our dragons kicked off.

To no one's great surprise, Astrid and I were in the lead, bolting off with a speed unmatched by any other dragon. Stormfly was doing well to keep up with Toothless, though she was struggling. Snotlout, having the fastest dragon next, was not far behind with the twins and Fishlegs trailing. Ultimately, Astrid and I both knew this race was between us. A little friendly competition to get the blood pumping in a way that wasn't related to physical contact. I welcomed the challenge she put forth and intended to give it my all.

Darting down from the Academy, we maneuver through the sea stacks as we see where the first sheep had been placed by Sven. Up on top of a sea stack narrow bridge. Impossible to land near and challenging to fly around with the gusts. Bring slightly in the lead, Toothless and I darted towards it and did one of our customary moves. Locking his tail, I leapt off his back and snatched the sheep mid-flight as Toothless flew underneath the bridge. The momentum carried me all the way to the other side as I soon found myself back on Toothless again, though in the moment without swift tail control, Astrid had taken the lead.

Circling back around towards the forests, the next sheep was apparently in a tree, and with Astrid in the lead, she was poised to take it. Leaping off of Stormfly, she grabbed a vine and swung through the branches, grabbing the sheep and landing back on her dragon and granting me a playful gaze. We were one in one. Much like the first sheep, her brief departure from her dragon was enough for me to retake the lead. The first lap only having the two sheep. The second, fourth, fifth and seventh laps having a third sheep. We made our first pass and dropped our sheep into our respective nets, starting the second lap.

Shockingly, the twins beat us to one of them, while we each took one of the other two. We were so engrossed with the race, I wasn't sure what happened but I am almost willing to bet that Fishlegs and Snotlout are giving Ruffnut their sheep again. Toothless and I were working up our blood pressure by the third lap where the twins grabbed another one, though this time I saw Fishlegs toss Ruffnut his sheep. Internally I laughed at Snotlout's comment as he and Fishlegs were guilty of it themselves.

This second sheep was between Astrid and I and we were both racing towards it. She was pushing Stormfly to her top gear and they, in turn, were pushing Toothless to his max. It made us both feel good to feel the rush of the wind against us as we barreled towards this sheep. Toothless narrowed his wings and went into a high spiral as we nose dived towards the sheep, gaining speed on Stormfly before I swiftly changed positions and he opened his wings quickly, his finds helping us make sharper turns as we dart just barely ahead and snatch the Sheep literally seconds before Stormfly flies past it.

I glance back to Astrid who has a smile on her face as she nods lightly and zips past us. She was playing her own game, and whatever it was, it had less to do with either of us winning I think, though now I finally took the lead.

Rounds four, five and six went fast and I was working up a solid sweat underneath my suit as we chased towards sheep doing daring tricks and questionable maneuvers to get them. Astrid was not letting up and she stayed right with me the whole time. By round seven, she and I were tied at seven each with the twins at four, and Fishlegs and Snotlout at nil each. They had definitely been giving their Sheep to Ruffnut.

The horn for the Black Sheep bellows as Astrid and I glance towards each other. This was it. Either one of us win, or we let the twins beat us. Neither of us were going to let that happen and I had promised her to give it my all so my all I would give it. We darted through the Whispering Death tunnels up to the markets of Berk where the Black Sheep was launched into the air. Toothless and Stormfly neck in neck as we dived towards it, I locked Toothless's tail and leapt off him midflight, propelling myself ahead of him in a dive and springing my wings. I had since made them work independently of my arms, and thankfully, I had a few seconds lead on both dragons and grabbed the sheep quickly before flying back around and landing on Toothless who took off.

Ahead of me was Fishlegs who wanted to introduce Meatlug on Tail-bludgeon that I very narrowly dodged. Astrid was still right on our tail, and this time, ahead, I spotted the twins making a wall of fire that Toothless dived down to avoid only to narrowly avoid Snotlout and Hookfang as they lit up and attempted a hard wing gust to blow us back. The gust ended up hitting the twin's explosive gas, sending them back as I darted around the Nightmare with Astrid still hot on my tail. Though now, I had made it past the other three riders and only had to worry about Astrid as I raced towards the sea stacks. Coming full circle, it'd be the sea stacks to the victory finish. Though Astrid was hot in pursuit, she didn't seem to have a strategy for getting the Black Sheep into her hands with out I flew Toothless; trying to jump on his back was out of the question, and no straight up attacks were sportsmanlike.

I can see the ending and kick Toothless into gear, pulling away from Stormfly. She may have burst, but Toothless could maintain his speed for longer than Stormfly. Gaining a few seconds lead, I see the net and narrow the shot before dropping the Black Sheep down; straight into Astrid's net. She had won, glancing back at her, I can see her smile as she shakes her head, and we land in the Academy as Bucket and Mulch yell their hearts out.

"And you have seen it once again! The mighty, undefeated, Astrid Hofferson wins again! What a show, what a game!"

Astrid lands next to me as I hop down off Toothless while the other flyers come in for a landing. I can see her face riddled with sweat now as she is out of breath. Riding a dragon for competition was no easy feat and it really showed here; especially with all the trick maneuvers we did. She pushed me against Toothless and pressed her lips to mine, our tongues meeting briefly as I feel her heart racing like mine is. I hadn't noticed, but Toothless raised his wing to cover us from prying eyes briefly and as we part, I see that same look in her eye; that look of longing.

"Pens. Ten minutes." She says and walks away with a smile, heading towards Stormfly's pen and leaving me with the others.

"And go figure! Our great leader gives the win to Astrid, Again." Snotlout exclaims, landing near me.

"There is more to life than winning at a race. Besides, I won anyways." I retort and he groans. "Alright gang, we'll be holding another race in two hours. Long enough for everyone to go get food and a brief rest. Be back here in an hour and a half." I state and fly up to Bucket and Mulch, telling them the same thing. They make the announcement and it's met with a cheer as people start filtering out and heading towards the Great Hall. Flying back down to the pens, they were quickly emptied at the promise of food in the Great Hall, and I find Stormfly and Astrid in the pens. It seems she wanted her own intermission fete just between us, and I was all too happy to oblige.


	51. Intermission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

In the moments after the first Race in two months, the Academy fell deathly silent as I approached Astrid underneath the protection of the Dragon Pens, with only Stormfly and Toothless being within earshot. She leans her back against the wall as I pin her to it, my right hand resting above her head on the wall and my left cupping her chin as our lips locked. The adrenaline, the sweat, the rush from the Dragon Race still pumping through us both, I felt my own heart beating faster with each second that we were kissing. Guiding my hand down her side, with both her hands pressed against the wall, pushing her lips passionately back into mine, I hook her right leg and hoist it up. Wedging myself closer to her as our tongues dance until our already short breath forces us to part. Panting as we do, I gaze into her eyes and see the look that never ceases to drive me wild.

"Are you sure?" I whisper softly against her lips and I can see her nod and bite her lower lip in a smile as I feel her hands hook around my hip, pulling my hips to connect with hers. Pressing my already excited member against her thigh as she nods again.

"Yes." She says simply, softly against my lips before kissing my neck and up her way to my ear. Whispering, she adds, "I want you to take me, here, now." She finishes by kissing back to my neck and biting it, causing me to exhale sharply with a smile.

"Your wish…" I begin, my hand running up her thigh from below as her leg is hook around my waist, her other leg propping her up, leaning back against the wall as she gazes at me. "…Is my command, Milady."

I slide down her body onto my knees with her still leaning against the wall and undo her flight suit, sliding her leggings and scaled armor off to reveal her gorgeous lower body. I hear her moan softly as I run my finger up her now bare thigh, stimulated from the contact as I lean in and lightly lick the area between her legs, prompting her to gasp as my finger finds its way up to where my tongue is. Still on my knees, my fingers and head prompts her legs to widen, letting me edge closer inside her thighs, granting me freer access. She stifles her moans as my tongue and fingers go to work on her delicious area, I can feel my heart still beating quickly as my other hand widens her left thigh. Diving my tongue in deeper with my finger as my lips suck on her lower lips, my finger darting back and forth repeatedly within her as she bites her own finger to hold back her moans. Still being in a public area, any sounds we make could echo to any passerby and while we had the run of the area at the moment, anyone could be by at any moment.

"Hi-Hiccup. Alm-most th-there." She says through a stifled whisper as I increase my speed and lather her area with my tongue before I feel her legs start to shake around me and her insides tighten around my finger and tongue. I can hear her muffled moan as she closes her eyes and rests her had against the wall, her hands trailing up the side of the wall as her back arches against it. I drink in her passion as she lets loose and when she slowly starts to calm down, I take a moment and undo my own leggings. I had long-ago built-in groin attachments to my leg for quick restroom breaks, and while this wasn't the same thing, the use of it was equally as fitting.

Sliding back up her body, her vest still snug around her body, I press my lips to hers and let her taste herself as our tongues do their customary dance. I hike up her right thigh again and it instinctively locks around my waist as I guide my member towards her entrance and slowly slide it in. I hear and feel her let a long, muffled moan of pleasure out against my lips, helping to muffle the sound as I can see her eyes roll back. Slowly parting our lips as my member fully enters her, I kiss her neck then lean into her ear.

"I'm going to take you, right here, right now, Astrid." I whisper teasingly as she smiles.

"Mmm, take me, Hiccup." She answers softly in my ear as I smile, my left hand pressing against her hip as my right stabilizes me against the wall.

I can tell she is still sensitive down there as I begin pushing back and forth within her, pressing my lips to hers again as our tongues lock in an endless dance. The move had become so familiar to the both of us, so much like second nature. We lived in each other's presence, soared in the passion between us that had grown and exploded in recent months. I doubt either of us knew how much we had built up within ourselves over the years as platonic friends to a nigh platonic relationship to true intimacy and love. Our love for each other was never in doubt, but we had lacked in intimacy when we first got together, but it was so new and unlike Dagur and Mala, we weren't adults at that time. We didn't know what it meant to be intimate to this level, but now, now we had explored each and every inch of each other's body's multiple times. Now we were starting to get creative with the ways we pleased one another than we could truly enjoy the passion and intimacy burning within us.

I could hear her sharp intake of breath, followed by the subsequent exhale with each thrust upwards against her hips. Her arms had locked around my neck, our lips only parting for the briefest of moments in between thrusts to either supplement air because the sheer movement broke us apart. In either case, our lips quickly found each other again as her hiked and wrapped right leg helped keep pressure and helped steady her hips against my continued thrusts while her left leg kept her steady. We were both leaned and athletic from the years of riding dragons and warrior training, blacksmithing or the like that I could feel her muscles tense with each thrust against her posted thigh. Each moan against my lips only drove me to go faster, and I'm sure she was nearing her next climax as I could feel her insides tighten in unison with each thrust that I made. I was close, and I knew she was too though with our lips in constant connection and showing no signs of breaking, only the gods could guess.

That was when I felt her legs begin to shake again as I felt her bite my lip playfully tugging at it. "I'm close." She whispers as her hoisted leg pulls my hips back towards her again, reconnecting her lips with mine. I take that as the sign to push through to the finish and my thrust become more pointed. I wasn't going to stop or change what I was doing, she was close and wanted me to keep doing what I was doing, so I would, to give her the maximum amount of pleasure that I could. My own pleasure was already had, just by having her in my arms in this way, was more than enough for me to be content with the world. I kept our lips locked as I leaned in, quickly driving my hips back and forth repeatedly until finally I felt her left leg start to give out as her right, hoisted leg begun to spasm and lock up behind me.

Hooking her leg with my free hand I hoisted left leg off the ground and it instinctively locked behind my back with her right leg, them both locked as I finished driving inside her. I felt my own passion build to its climax as I let it release within her. I could tell that was within moments of her own release as she her eyes rolled back and she brough her head forward against my shoulder, her arms around my neck tightening, bringing her closer as I felt her muscles contract tightly. Her legs spasming for a few moments before finally slowing as she let out a long-drawn breath. Leaning her head back, she looked at me with a smile, her legs still hooked behind my back.

"That… was amazing." She says softly, breathlessly. My own heart racing as the adrenaline and sweat hadn't died down, but only exploded since the race.

"New… new thing… to do… between or after… races, huh?" I add, trying to recover my breath as she laughs lightly and nods.

We slowly break away, and I help clean her up and readjust her leggings. We still had to go grab food, but sometimes, some things were just more important than others. And Astrid would always be the most important thing in my life, next to Toothless; my best bud, and my best and only girl.

*********************************

We were getting more and more daring with our activities as of late, and as the rush of the Dragon Race and the passion that followed subsided, I was in awe that I was so overtaken that I wanted it there, like that. I mean, I did, and I don't regret it, not even remotely. And the fact that Hiccup gave me what I wanted made me enjoy it even more, how he did it, what he did; just made the rush feel so tantalizing. After we cleaned up, we tended to our dragons who had just nestled near the entryway of the pen and basically ignored us. How they had become so used to our activities was both something to be thankful for and something of awe.

"What brought that on, if you don't mind?" Hiccup asks besides me, helping me tend to Stormfly as we had both just given Toothless a quick scrub.

"I-I don't know, to be honest. Maybe it was the rush of the race; our first race since being… intimate. Just made my body heat explode and all I could think about during the last leg of that lap was getting you alone in a pen." I admit sheepishly and he smiles, laughing slightly.

"Is that why you didn't make a move towards the black sheep?" He asks playfully, nudging my shoulder as I blush and nod.

"Maybe. You gave me the points anyways. Didn't I say you had to give me your all?" I ask and he nods along, grinning.

"Oh, I did, a couple minutes ago." He answers and my cheeks flush as I shake my head, prompting him to laugh. "I mean, Astrid." He pauses, taking my hands and making us face each other. "Any time you win, I win, we win. We're a team. As far as I'm concerned; we won that race. I don't need to be the fastest or best rider, I don't need to prove I can beat people at the dragon races." He admits and I shake my head, now smiling as I lean in and kiss him.

"You're too perfect, sometimes. You know that? Come on, let's go grab some food before the races start back up. We've still got almost an hour to kill." I say as he smiles.

"We could go another round, just us, right here." He whispers, leaning in and lightly tugging my lip with his teeth as I smile.

"Don't tempt me. We're lucky we got away with what we did. Let's not push our luck… today." I answer softly against his lip, stifling a moan at the thought as he leans fully in to kiss me. Drinking in the kiss, I exhale as we break with a smile. "That. Being. Said." I say with a pause as he looks at me. "After this next race, when we feel that rush again…" I begin as I feel his finger to my lips as he smiles.

"Say no more, milady. Your wish is my command." He answers, removing his finger and kissing me again. I couldn't get over how amazing Hiccup was as a betrothed, as a person. He probably thought he was the lucky one, no, in fact, I know he thought that. But honestly, I felt like the lucky one. He had a sharp mind, a caring heart, a warrior's spirit and a gentle soul. It had become refined at the Edge, and tested against Drago and Krogan; now the warlords and the summit. He was the best of all of us, and someone that was one in a million.

Together we hopped on our dragons and made our way to our house, we saw people were already filtering out of the Great Hall, and the Twins were already flying back to the Pens; we were fortunate we stopped when we did. We had spotted scattered groups of Vikings already finding seats in the stands around the Academy as they eagerly waited for the rematch. Deciding not to make our presence, or tardiness to lunch, known to the overall group, we grabbed food left over at our house and ate there. We had a couple mugs of water and small bites of food before sitting in front of the lightly smoldering fireplace.

There, we just sat in each other's arms for a few minutes, comfortably sitting in silence as had become customary for us. We were slowly starting to create our own traditions between each other, such as sitting together quietly and gazing at a fire pit together. Just taking in the heat and each other's presence and nothing else. It was one such tradition I was going to enjoy throughout the rest of my life, for there was room on this chair for a kid or three down the line. Once the wars of the Archipelago had ceased and we knew true peace, Hiccup and I could come to know a family as well. It was just another dream I had, one I kept to myself for the most part. Some part of me wondered if he thought of it too, and there would be a time to ask more specifically about it later but for now, just sitting here with him was enough. Especially after the pens, my body needed a few moments to recover.

"So, about that vacation we had talked about. Wasn't it after we captured Krogan?" I asked him softly, looking back over my shoulder at him as he nodded with a smile.

"It was. Let's wait for my mother to get back. That way, she can help cover. I'm sure she'll endorse any vacation we want to take. In the mean time, we keep morale high. We hit the trappers where we can, keep Krogan behind bars." Hiccup answers and I nod.

"You're so thoughtful." I say simply as I feel his grip around my waist tighten as he kisses my neck.

"Did you have any thoughts on where we should go?" He asks and I smile, nodding.

"Remember that grouping of Islands that we scouted before the first time Gustov crashed the Edge. There was a spring one, had no dragons on it, half the size of Berk with several hot springs. We didn't think much of it at the time, but as I think back, may be a perfect isolated get away for a few days." I answer, leaning my head back against his shoulder.

"Sounds perfect. Maybe we can find Garff while we're out there and say hi, it's been a little while. I wonder if he'd even remember us?" Hiccup suggests and I nod along, my eyes closed.

"I'm sure he would, and I'd love to see him again. We'll keep working on a plan then. When's your mother due back?" I ask, as my hands find his around my waist and I slowly clasp them, running my fingers against the backs of his hands.

"She and Eret took Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper, but they went by boat as to not startle the other tribes. I figure, two weeks if we haven't heard anything from them in that time, we search them out. I had her leave a map with her intended course so it should be easy to go from there." He states with mild apprehension in his voice as I shift.

"You think something will happen to them?" I ask softly, turning to look him in the eyes as he shrugs.

"I-I don't know. No. Probably not. But I can't shake the unease. I think it's because of how recent still my dad's death is, that I'm overly worried for my mom. She's survived for years alone; she doesn't need me trying to be overprotective." Hiccup admits as I smile.

"Hey, Hiccup. It'll be okay. Everything will be okay. We'll hear from them in that time, and we'll get our vacation, and we'll right the Archipelago. Soon, you'll be the Chief of Chiefs, the great Chief Hiccup Haddock the Third, son of Stoick." I say, smiling and kissing him lightly on the lips as he squirms at the thought.

"Yeah, I don't know if I want to be the Chief of Chiefs. Managing Berk alone is hard enough some days." Hiccup says softly as I shake my head, pressing my finger to his lips.

"You're doing great, you'd be the one to unite the Archipelago, dragon and humankind. I will be by your side every step of the way." I answer, kissing him as he smiles. "Come on, we've got to get back. The race starts soon." I say as he sighs and nods.

"I could stay here with you, like this, all day." He admits as we slowly climb out of the chair and I laugh lightly and nod.

"Me too. How shall we play this race, babe?" I ask with a grin and he shrugs, smiling back at me.

"Let's work up a real sweat, really try to beat each other. Whoever has the black sheep decides the race and neither of us can be upset about the result. No matter how it ends, we'll have a private rematch after the race." Hiccup answers and I audibly let a moan slip my lips thinking about it.

"Mmm, I like that idea. Lead on, Chief. We've a race to get too." I answer, pecking him one last time on the lips in private before we find our dragons and take back off. It was still a quarter hour until the race, but the stands were mostly full, with Gobber and the other riders in the Academy arena getting ready to go. Time to show the rest of the riders how serious Hiccup and I could get when we wanted to be, I'd get the black sheep this time, and I may even give it to him just so we can hold a private tiebreaker later.


	52. The Rematch

The timer kicks off and the race begins a new, with new thoughts rushing through my mind about the way I wanted this race to end, the after party that would follow. I'll be honest, my mind wasn't on the race at all, it was on what Hiccup and I had done during Intermission, and what else I wanted to do. A secret I doubt I'd admit even to him is that I really enjoyed doing that there. We had risked being caught by any number of people, risked being heard by random passerby even though we knew the area was mostly empty. The fact we weren't made it even more exhilarating that my own heartbeat was increasing thanks to more than just the race.

The beauty of the Dragon Races is that it wasn't a leisurely stroll on a dragon. We had to be focused, standing and tensed; we were making sharp turns, quick round abouts, rapid steals from each other. It involved more than just our dragons as more than once, either Hiccup or I had left our Dragons briefly mid-flight to capture a sheep. It required coordination, strength. It was an excellent judge on if someone was ready for combat, even though the twins, Fishlegs and Snotlout could rarely hold themselves to either Hiccup or myself in terms of agility, precision or stamina; they still did well enough. Well enough to be considered better than any other rider on the island except us, though Spitelout was arguably better than his son and Gustov had really gotten better as well.

So as much as my mind wanted to wander back to things that took place strictly in the privacy of just Hiccup and I, the races wouldn't allow it. Not without me dealing with a good deal of smack talk from Snotlout and the others as they would gain points on me for being distracted. The last thing I wanted was for Snotlout or the Twins to have any form of bragging rights, and if that meant refocusing and ensuring I kept up with Hiccup on the point scheme, then so be it. A part of me wondered if his mind was as conflicted and wandering as mine was, and I can only assume the answer. Based on the brief exchanges between our eyes when we pass one another, his mind was absolutely on something else; the sly smile showing even for the briefest of seconds.

I hadn't even been truly paying attention to the laps or how long we had been racing. I was a little more flustered than I cared to admit, but we must've been on lap five by now. When we last flew by with a point, Hiccup was at six, I was at six and the twins were at three. I wasn't paying overt attention, but I can safely assume each of the three points for the twins were given to them by either Fishlegs or Snotlout. It still shocked me that Fishlegs was going for Ruffnut instead of Heather; Heather seemed truly disappointed by it and Ruffnut was only taking advantage of both muttonheads fawning over her.

A sudden loud bellowing horn shook me from my train of thought and broke me from my racing mentality. It was the prison horn, and it was only blown when a prisoner escaped from their cell… and we only had two prisoners: Arne and Krogan. I was flying near Hiccup and we exchanged a brief look as he nodded and we both wasted no time. He flew over to Bucket and Mulch at the Thunderear announcing table and took over the Ear as I rallied the riders.

"Riders, race over! To the prison!" I called out and everyone quickly put their serious face on with little argument and no stupid questions. Even the twins understood the danger of Krogan, though that didn't stop their side comments.

"Ugh! Come On! Can't this guy give us a break and stay in his cell!?" Ruffnut exclaims as we fly down, darting to the cells. I can hear Hiccup on the loudspeaker.

"A-Team, to your dragons, guard the docks and ships! Militia, to the streets, search every building in teams! Everyone else, stay here!" He calls out then joins us in our flight to the prison cells.

We all landed with Hiccup and ran inside; we didn't even have the time to grab our weapons or gear as we had been riding light for the race. Hiccup, while he didn't have his shield, he did have his Dragon Blade and we both had our draggers. He drew Inferno and ignited it as I drew the dagger, the one I had made for us from my boot, he glanced back to me and nodded with a worried smile as we entered. Glancing back to the others, he held up his hand.

"Guys, stay back, watch for signs of movement. If you hear us call out for help, send a distress call to alert the Riders and the Militia. Toothless, wait here. The cells are too tight for Dragons." He says and I turn and nod to Stormfly, telling her to plant and wait for my signal.

Together, Hiccup and I enter the cells. Right at the entryway to the cells is the horn where Seamus was leaning up against it. Blood was running down his arm as he struggled to stand and Hiccup rushed to his side, helping him stand as I grabbed his other side. His arm was bloodied, and limp and it looked like his face had been cut but he was conscious.

"Seamus, Seamus! Are you alright?! What happened?" Hiccup asks as we walk him back out. He struggles to speak but does slowly.

"K-Krogan. Timed his attack. T-turned a wooden spoon into a wooden blade. H-he killed Arne and nearly killed Agnar… he's unconscious further in. R-ran out." Seamus says through winced exhales as we reach the outside.

"Okay. Okay. Snotlout. Take Seamus to Gothi now. Fishlegs, be ready, we're coming back with Agnar who will need to go to Gothi as well. Twins, stay here." Hiccup orders as he passes Seamus off to Snotlout who doesn't argue. Even the Jorgensen can see when a situation is beyond the joking reproach.

Together, we go back inside and as Seamus had said, when we reach the cell that held Arne the turncoat trapper, it was bloodied. Arne must've died screaming, the broken wooden spoon left gauged in his neck as blood was slowing to a dribble. I had seen blood and death before, but this was beyond cruel and ruthless. Krogan was no viking, he was no man of honor. He was a hunter, an assassin, a murderer. We rounded the corner to where his cell was and found it opened with Agnar unconscious and partially bloodied but at least breathing. I could tell Hiccup was spiraling out of control in his own head, second guessing every choice he made up to now, every injury, every death that followed Krogan's escape would be held on him by him. I wanted nothing more than to hold him and tell him it would be okay, but now was not the time. Together, we got Agnar back out and sent Fishlegs and the Twins to Gothi's Hut then took to the air, not it was a hunt to find Krogan before he escaped Berk or hurt anyone else.

"What're you thinking?" I ask Hiccup as we both circle the city, watching the militia search the buildings and the A team secure the docks. He shakes his head and sighs.

"Let's put ourselves in his shoes. He just escaped; he heard the horn. He knows our docks will be covered; knows we'll be searching each building meticulously. We just left the Arena; my thinking is he'll either be heading towards the arena to try to blend with those still there or into the forest to out as much distance as he can with cover." Hiccup reasons and I nod.

"Everyone on Berk knows and hates him; he wouldn't be able to blend. Forest?" I suggest and he nods.

"You know, he probably won't come back willingly, Astrid." Hiccup says somberly and I nod.

"He will, or we deal with him then and there. Summit be damned, at this point, he is too dangerous to be left alive." I reaffirm for Hiccup and smile softly. "It comes with the territory; we need to deal with him before he hurts or kills any of us." I add and he sighs, nodding.

"Like Arne." Hiccup adds and I nod.

"He was still a hired mercenary. He knew the life he was in. What happened to him is horrible, but ultimately, we need to be concerned with our own people." I say. I'm doing my best to help him, comfort and guide him as I can. He's struggling internally, and it's written all over his face. Hopefully, we find Krogan soon.

*********************************

I should have ended his life when we captured him. My mother meant well with her advice but ultimately, her advice led to me allowing a killer on our island and it costing two of my people grave injuries, and the death of another prisoner. That was on me, I should have reinforced his cell, sealed it completely to be unopenable even with a key. The question remained on how he escaped, because I was confident that cell could hold a dragon if it needed too. Ultimately that question and answer was irrelevant; he timed his escape. He timed it to right after the race started, when everyone was full of food and eager to watch the race. Even the guards had been laxer with only one inside and one outside to watch the dragons fly by. He knew the whole village was there, the only question was how. Was he able to escape the whole time and just biding his time or did he get lucky?

So many questions riddled my brain that I hardly noticed Astrid speaking to me and trying to calm me. Arne had died. Died. He was murdered on Berkian land. The last time someone had died on Berkian land to the hand of another human was several generations ago. Granted, neither the blood spilt, nor the blood spiller were Berkian natives, it was still horrible.

Astrid and I flew low and fast, following the forest and darting in the trees. Stormfly was an excellent tracker and Astrid had taken the lead.

"Stormfly seems to be on a scent!" She calls out and I nod, smiling a grim smile. We would catch you Krogan, and we would kill you if we needed too. "He can't be moving too fast based on what he's been eating and drinking" I hear her call out to me as I nod.

"Should be easy to catch too." I add and she nods.

Luckily for us, and unfortunately for Krogan, a Tracker and Sharp Class Dragon like Stormfly, with years of experience in riding, fighting and tracking, was more than capable of tracking down a bloodied, tired and worn murderer. Even if that murderer had gotten the jump on a couple distracted guards and killed a defenseless former associate, it wouldn't matter against a pair of battle-hardened dragon riders and their dragons. In truth, I'm glad it's just Astrid with me here because I'm not sure I could deal with this if anyone else was here. She is my safety net and I had a staunch feeling I would need said net by the end of the day.

I hadn't killed a man before, hadn't taken a life before that could have been avoided. Technically, I was indirectly responsible for the deaths of Ryker and Johann; of my father. But I had not directly made a move to kill another man before, and it was something I valued in myself. That I could always find a way but this time, it was as though Krogan was forcing my hand.

Maybe he was, maybe everything he was doing was intentional and he was a true student of Maces and Talons despite the apathy and distaste for the game he previously showed. Maybe this was a rematch for us, a chance to settle the score between him and us. He had to know he wouldn't get far, especially without a weapon, ship or provisions. He had the rags we left him and nothing else.

"Hiccup!" Astrid's voice calls my attention ahead and near one of the waterfalls on Berk that leads to a nearby stream, Krogan stands looking over. As if trying to find a way to leap down. He had leapt such distances before, and he may try again, but then he was in his peak and not wrought with injuries from his near-death experiences that followed. Even still, this time, we had dragons, and we were going to chase him either way.

"KROGAN!" I call out, calling his attention to look towards me as I pat Toothless and he lobs a pair of blasts towards the man. Striking on either side of him, billowing up a small dust cloud, Stormfly and Astrid fire several spines in a circle around him. He tries to dart around and trips on one of the spines. Astrid fires a single shot the pins his pants legs to the ground, and another two that pin his arm to the ground, partially shredding the rags we had given him. Landing near Krogan but staying on our dragons, we were beyond trying to talk this out.

"Krogan. State your surrender now and we will take you back alive." I order, demanding he concede whatever ill-fated plan he has been cooking up. His laugh is all that answers me; the same, low-grumbled laugh of malice and contempt.

"Hahaha. And what if I don't, Chief? Will you kill me. Do what no one before you, even the feared Drago Bludvist, has been able to do? End the Spree Krogan the Hunter?" Krogan sneers as I feel Astrid's gaze shift to me, though my eyes remain locked on Krogan as Toothless channels another blast.

"If I must, Krogan, I will not hesitate to kill you, here and now." I state. The words stung at my heart, but they needed to be said.

"Oh, ho, ho. Strong words, Chief. What about your summit. Will they be happy if you bring them nothing but a body and empty words? Can you risk bringing me back alive? Maybe next time, your guards don't survive and end up like the traitor you harbored. Thanks for keeping him so close, by the way." Krogan taunts.

"What's your game, Krogan? What do you want? You keep antagonizing us, it's like you want us to kill you." Astrid remarks as Krogan's gaze shifts to her, his body still mostly motionless as he lays pinned on the ground. I can tell he is weary.

"A parting gift; your Hiccup is too weak, he hasn't tasted blood. Once he does, all of Berk will implode and I can rest in peace." Krogan retorts.

"I don't know, Krogan, we've bested you at almost every turn. And the only battles you've won have been when Hiccup wasn't present at the start." Astrid returns the jab in my defense as I smile inwardly. I really do love her.

"Enough. Krogan. Return with us to your cell now." I order as Krogan's gaze turns to me and a wry smile crosses his lips as he shakes his head.

"Sorry, Hiccup. I'll not be anyone's prisoner again. I'd rather go out fighting." Krogan exclaims, quickly lurching up and tearing his rags, grabbing a pair of the spines Stormfly shot at him and leveling one of them directly towards my face. Toothless quickly reacts and darts to the side as he grabs the third and throws one at Astrid with suck a force and speed that it grazes her flight suit. Luckily, the dragon scale flight suit was up to par with mine and deflected the force of the spine and it slide past and hit a tree behind her.

Toothless fires another plasma blast but Krogan had already swiftly ran straight towards me and Toothless with the spine and leapt up, over Toothless, tackling me and tumbling us both back. Inferno had been knocked from my hand mid-tackle and as we tumbled, I drew the dagger Astrid had made for me and use it to parry the spine as Krogan attempted to stab at me. I could hear his grunts of pure anger between the sounds of our bodies flailing against the ground as we tumbled.

"I. Will. Not. Die. Alone!" Krogan exclaims as our tumble stops around a hundred feet from our dragons. I couldn't tell where Astrid, Toothless or Stormfly was but I knew for at least this second, we were alone, and I was struggling to keep a spine away from my neck.

He was not playing and was seriously trying to drive the spine into my neck, jabbing at me and me just barely able to parry the spine to the dirt beneath me as he had me pinned to the ground. I noticed a wince when he jabbed and took the opportunity to sweep my leg around and trip him up, pinning one of his hands against his leg under my knee as I held the spine hand down. Holding my knife to his throat, barely able to stop his free hand with the spine.

"Give. Up. Krogan." I say, struggling against his strength. We were nearly an even match when he was running on empty and wounded. I couldn't imagine fighting him when he was at his peak. Unfortunately, my plea fell on deaf ears as he spit up on me and forced his hand free.

I felt the spine cut across my arm, through a weak point in the dragon flight suit before I could lock blades with it and press it down. There was no words, only sharp breaths and grunts as we each vied for control. In what felt like a flash, I felt his hand slip as he tried to jab up at me, giving me the moment, I needed to parry it and the opening I didn't want to take. My own dagger sunk into his neck in that moment as he gasps and his muscles tense, the spine released and falling to the ground as he coughs.

"Hiccup!" I hear Astrid as she closes in, and I hear her gasp as she sees the blood wrenching from my arm and the dagger slowly sinking into Krogan's neck. As I look down at Krogan, I can see him smile through bloodied teeth.

"And. Now. You have tasted. Blood. Good. Bye. Hiccup. Haddock." He struggles to say with a smile on his face as his muscles finally give way entirely and I watch his final breath leave his body.

I can almost see the light fade from his eyes as I fall backwards onto the ground, staring at him with the dagger in my hand. My face frozen, my eyes locked on what I just did. I had just taken a man's life, bared witness to his last breath as his life left him before my very eyes. I didn't even feel or see Astrid run to my side; I could hardly even comprehend the words she was speaking to me or feel her arms as she wrapped them around me. I think Toothless fired another shot or two, I think Stormfly did too. I couldn't tell, it was all a blur as my vision doubled and it felt like my head split in two. What had I just done?


	53. Convalesce

I honestly couldn't remember much of what happened, my mind was in a rush and it was all a blur. Dizzying, blank and unfocused; a splitting headache crept across my skull like a Fireworm crawling across flesh. I vaguely remember the sound of Astrid calling out to me, the feeling of her arms around me, the echo of Toothless's blasts as they exploded above. I have a flash of seeing the others, Snotlout, the Twins and Fishlegs all arriving with a look of pure concern… though that may have been my imagination. My legs, moving, I was moving but not thinking, being guided by Astrid then by Toothless.

The clamoring sounds other villagers before the loud sound of a door shutting; the warmth of a fire as I feel the cool rush of liquid pouring down my throat. Blinking once, twice and turning, I can see Astrid. She's saying something to me, but I can't make it out, it's like I wasn't even there, like my mind had left my body and I was a husk barely able to stand. Through her sheer perseverance, I finally start to make out the words she is saying to me as I squint and concentrate.

"Hiccup. Hiccup? Come on, talk to me." Her voice says gently, softly and riddled with concern. I feel my lip twitch as my eyes narrow from something being in them. Shaking my head, I close my eyes and rest my palm on my forehead as she speaks again. "Hiccup, babe? I'm here. Right here." She reassures me. She saw what I did, what I had to do. Other Vikings revel in the kill and live for bloodshed; raiders and pirates who don't give one more death a second thought. But that wasn't me, I wasn't a killer… or was I?

"A-Astrid? What… happened?" I stammer slowly as I feel her arms slink around my waist. She had been sitting beside me, letting me know she was there. Feeling her warmth made me feel better, more grounded.

"It's okay. It's over. You did the right thing, Hiccup." Astrid reaffirms to me softly as I regain my composure. I had been dazed and unable to get out of it. Now, the calmness and warmth I feel is helping my mind reconnect. I finally can see that we're back in the house sitting by the fire pit. Toothless, who had appeared as nothing more than a dark shadow, is sitting across from us. When I make eye contact with him, he approaches and nuzzles up to me.

"Hey bud…" I whisper, patting him softly as I rest my head against Astrid and close my eyes. "Did I? Do the right thing… What happened after, I can barely think straight."

"It was either you or Krogan. Toothless sent a distress call and the other Riders came quickly. They were, uh, a little unnerved. They took Krogan's, uh, body, to be held by Gothi. I rushed you here before the village swarmed you… Everyone knows and everyone thinks you did the right thing." Astrid spells out the events that took place as I sigh, nodding.

"We, should probably send an air mail to my mother, let her know that one of our promises is gone due to me." I say solemnly as Astrid lets out a deep breath and cups my cheek, pressing her lips to mine and then wiping away what I imagine were tears. I'm still disconnected from it all, but her kiss was welcomed contact.

"Hiccup, don't. Don't blame yourself. Krogan forced your hand, and nearly killed you. He tried too; I saw it in his eyes. For all his talk, he wanted blood. He was a cold-blooded murderer, and almost claimed two of our own people's lives. No one thinks you did the wrong thing." Astrid says, trying to reassure me as I lean back and nod softly along as she speaks.

"I do. I should've tried harder, it didn't need to end that way. We could've overpowered him, bound him." I mutter as she shakes her head.

"He would have likely been put to death anyways. He has paid for his crimes, as Chief, you were within your right to take his life. You did nothing wrong." She says again.

"I saw the light leave his eyes, felt the last breath leave his body. It's one thing to cut through a swath of your enemies in the midst of a great battle, where you can disconnect from the carnage and move on to the next one. It's another to personally drive a blade through their neck and watch their life die. I- I can't not see it when I close my eyes." I state and she nods, resting her hand on my chest.

"And that's okay, Hiccup. We'll deal with this, together, like always." Astrid says softly and her words bring a light smile to my face as she leans back with me. "Is there anything you need?" She asks and I shake my head.

"You just being here is enough. I'm sorry that I'm such a mess." I answer as I take her hand and we sit together looking at the fire. Toothless had since curled up on the ground next to me, close enough that my hand could rest on his back.

"You're not a mess. You're a kind, sensitive and caring person who was put in a challenging situation and came out of it shaken. After all you and I have been through together, if you think that would have any affect on us, well." She pauses and leans up, pecking me lightly on the cheek. "You aren't getting rid of me that easily." She finishes.

"Nor would I ever want too. You bring out the best in me." I say, pulling her chin up to mine so our lips can touch as she smiles. I wasn't really okay yet, but I would be. "So, what did the others say?" I ask and Astrid chuckles.

"Fishlegs was genuinely concerned. Snotlout seemed genuinely afraid and the twins were taunting him about a time you supposedly decked Snotlout in the face? I must've missed that." Astrid says and I shake my head, laughing lightly.

"Yeah, remember when Barf and Belch were lifedebted to me? The twins, in all their genius, though it'd be a good idea to have Barf and Belch repay that debt by having Snotlout threaten my life; play acting, of course. Snotlout then dared me to hit him after he punched me in the eye. Tuffnut said it was like watching Thor's mighty hammer hit Snotlout's paper jaw; he lost a couple teeth." I explain as she shakes her head, laughing.

"Where in Thor's name was I for that." She exclaims as we smile. "Well, the twins were taunting him with that saying next time it'd be more than a mighty hammer. Snotlout said something about not making you mad."

"Kidding, hopefully. The last thing I need is for the others to act differently around me." I admit and she shakes her head and pats my shoulder.

"They won't. No one will. You. Did. The. Right. Thing." She emphasizes again. "And now, Summit or not, we can finally close the Krogan chapter of our lives. One less cold-blooded murderer on the loose. Thanks to you not giving up." She adds and I smile. She knew what to say.

"Where do you come up with all this stuff. It's heartwarming, you have a wisdom few can match." I question in admiration of her thinking as she smiles.

"I owe a lot of it to you, honestly. You opened my eyes those years ago, made me re-evaluate so many things I thought I knew to be true. Your actions and decisions have been a feeder to my own. We've grown, together." She explains and smiles, pressing her lips up to mine again.

This time, the kiss lingers longer than the others. My initial shock from the life I had just taken had worn off for the most part and while I would likely see Krogan's face in my sleep for the near future, I could live with it. Astrid kept me grounded, helped to keep me focused and reassured me every time I questioned myself. I was lucky to have her as a friend, and even more lucky to have her as my Betrothed. Whatever else I had planned for the day was moot, right now, I needed to just sit with her and be with her. Where once I wanted to be alone to clear my thoughts, now I wanted to be with her to clear my thoughts. There was something to be said about those that stayed closest to you during your darker times and never left you that said the most about them.

*********************************

It broke my heart to see Hiccup so devastated by his own actions, especially when they were the only actions he could've taken. He judged himself so harshly, like he wasn't worth being Chief, he never wanted to be a leader or be in a position of power. They were thrust upon him in most cases but in every case, from the Academy, to the Riders and the Edge, to being a Chief, his decisions have saved our lives more times than I can count.

Would a different sort of man have been unaffected by taking Krogan's life, probably. But not Hiccup, and that's why I loved him. He wasn't a brute; he wasn't a killer or an unreasonable loudmouth. He cared, he genuinely cared about others, about dragons, about life. Him taking a life was about as far away from his comfort level as he could possibly be, and even that he took in stride. A couple hours of shock, where he could hardly think, and a couple more still of sitting quietly together in front of the fire. He knew, he had to know, that I was here. I wouldn't leave him, not for this, not for anything. I would always have his back through the challenges that sought him out, and he would always have mine.

We hadn't moved in an hour, hadn't spoken, just rested together. Both Toothless and Stormfly were nestled in different areas of the downstairs area around the fire. They both knew something was off and they were both here if they were needed. They also both instinctively seemed to know that right now, it was Hiccup and I. It was nearing dinner and I heard a knock at our door which forced me to wince slightly. This would be the first time that I answered our door, but it wouldn't be the last. Patting Hiccup on his shoulder, I lightly kiss him before getting up and opening it to reveal Fishlegs, Snotlout and the Twins.

"Astrid! Excellent. We were looking for you. Where is our fearless leader, how is he? It is nearly dinner, and we, as in me, thought it would be an excellent idea to have a Rider's Dinner at our great Chief's house." Tuffnut exclaims, holding up a large basket of yak meat and fish.

"Uh, bro, you're forgetting it was actually MY idea to come over." Ruffnut adds as Tuff shrugs her off, Fishlegs walking up.

"Seriously, how is he?" Fishlegs asks quietly, trying to show actual concern as Snotlout walks past him.

"And as for dinner, I brought the mead." Snotlout adds, adding a disgusted look towards the twins as they hit each other. "To make up for some things I may have said, ya know.." He adds

"Yeah, yeah. Before Thor's mighty hammer meats his paper jaw again in the form of a flying blade!" Tuffnut adds.

"Guys, really?" I exclaim, my palm slapping my head as I feel Hiccup's hand on my shoulder. Turning, I see him smiling.

"It's okay, I'm okay. Come on in, guys, let's eat." Hiccup says and a soft smile forms on my lips as everyone rushes past us.

"Awesome! Party at the Chief's place!" Tuffnut exclaims running inside as I quickly close the door before anymore passerby try to join in the fun.

Everyone quickly finds a spot around the table as Hiccup takes the food to the small broiler and I pour the mead in everyone's cups. It was certainly a night for mead considering what we had all had to deal with that day, and I had a feeling that some people present weren't going to be delicate with their words.

"You two should have seen Snotlout's face when we reminded him of the teeth he lost. He did that puckering thing with his lips and started asking if he should apologize to Hiccup." Tuffnut exclaims as everyone laughs except Snotlout.

"HEY! It's a twitch! I told Fishlegs. A Twitch! When I get ready to fight! Absolutely manly." Snotlout shouts before turning to Hiccup as he sits next to me with a large plate of yakchops and smoked fish. "Oh, dinner." He adds and grabs a couple of each as Fishlegs raises his cup of mead.

"A toast, for the closure of a chapter in our lives. It didn't end the way we wanted it too, but it ended the only way it could've. Hiccup did what was best for all of us.

"Hear, Hear!" Everyone, including me, at the table return as Hiccup nods somberly with a light smile.

"Thanks, guys, I appreciate it." Hiccup adds, scooting an inch closer to me so I can feel his leg pressing against mine as I smile, glancing at him. He notices and returns my smile and gaze as everyone drinks. He may not be okay yet, but he would be, and that made me feel better as well.

"So, is anyone going to address the Rumblehorn in the room?" Tuffnut asks as we all glance around. Tuff's eyes level squarely on me. "What are you doing here before all of us?" He asks in his usual accusatorily joking way. I sigh, palming my head again as Hiccup laughs.

"Obviously I brought Hiccup back here." I state and he nods.

"Likely story." Tuffnut retorts

"Uh, yeah, not to agree at all with Tuffnut, but if I can be so bold. When are you two making it official?" Fishlegs asks as Snotlout gags.

"Oh, come on! Is this dinner table talk?" Snotlout complains as we all laugh.

"No, no it isn't." I retort and glance to Hiccup. "Are you going to jump in on this at all?" I ask as he shakes his head with a smile.

"No, no. I think you're doing fine." He says teasingly as I smile, shaking my head and groaning.

"Same thing we've been saying. Once the trappers are dealt with, we'll make it official. Now can we please drop it entirely?" I plead as Fishlegs nods.

"That's fair. By the way, this is really good. I had no idea you could cook?" Fishlegs adds, looking to Hiccup who shrugs.

"I picked up a few things from Heather on the Edge and having to cook for myself made me experiment. Glad you like it." He says as Snotlout is still gorging himself along with everyone else. I may be the only one who noticed that Hiccup hadn't actually eaten anything, though he was drinking the mead. Bumping my elbow into his side softly, I put a yakchop and smoked fish on his plate and lock eyes with him briefly. No words were exchanged, but he caught my message and nodded with a soft smile, taking the yakchop and eating it. He wasn't hungry, his mind was elsewhere, but his body still needed it.

We spent a solid couple hours sitting around that table, talking about past adventures at the Edge and all the times we beaten the odds together. Downing several cups of mead each before it was well into the evening and getting near the time for bed. Slowly but surely, everyone filtered out as I walked them to the door while Hiccup tended to the plates and mugs left behind. No one even questioned it at the time when I shut the door and stayed with Hiccup, and soon after, we found ourselves heading up the stairs to the bed.

Shredding our clothing and climbing into the warm bed as the firepit still radiated down below, I felt Hiccup's arms wrap around me and pull me closer to him, my back to his chest as he lightly kisses my neck. My eyes closing and my hands finding and resting on his as they rest on my waist.

"Thank you, for everything." Hiccup whispers, his warm breath carrying across my bare neckline as I smile and nod.

"Always." I answer softly, rolling over to look him in the eyes as he smiles. "I'm not going to sleep without this." I whisper, pressing my lips to his, feeling his lips curl into a smile as our tongues meet again and dance for several seconds. The taste of passion, and the feeling of fatigue was heavy on both fronts as our tongues and lips part and I smile at him, resting my forehead to his.

"I love you, Hiccup Haddock." I say softly and he smiles.

"I love you, Astrid Hofferson." He says, pecking me on the lips briefly before adding. "Soon to be Haddock." His words making me smile even wider.

Soon thereafter, we both drifted off into what I can only hope was a comfortable sleep. It was for me, though I wouldn't be surprised if Hiccup had nightmares about the day's events. And if he did, I would be here, right here, ready and waiting to be there for him.


	54. Sleepless Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

The moon was high enough in the sky that its light filtered down into the room through the skylight that Hiccup has kept installed since Toothless became an official member of his family. I couldn't sleep at all and had drifted in and out of consciousness. The moments of sleep that I found were warm and comforting, wrapped in Hiccup's arms still. I was not much of a dreamer with most of my nights being sound and calm. Hiccup, on the other hand, was a dreamer, and I could see it on his face. We hadn't moved much from when we first fell asleep, and every time I drifted back into consciousness, I saw his gentle face a few inches away from mine. There would be moments when his face contorted, and more than a couple single tears had formed around his eyes. He was being haunted in his sleep and I had no idea how to help him.

I wanted to wake him up and take his mind off what troubles him. Whether if that meant we lose ourselves to the throes of passion or if we quietly gazed at each other and spoke of what made us happy. The night was cold, but not so cold that a bundled ride on Toothless would not do wonders for his mental state either. Stormfly was familiar with that, and more than once Hiccup and I had vanished on Toothless's back. All these thoughts raced across my mind as I tried to think of a way to help him, but ultimately, I didn't want to wake him.

Even if waking him would be the kinder thing in the short term, it would only hurt him in the long term when he had to face the day after the death of Krogan. He would need his rest, even if he struggled to get it. I couldn't be the one to wake him, even if I wanted too. Of course, my mind thought too soon as his face changed once again. From a contorted look of displeasure to a light smile, I feel his arms that are still lightly wrapped around me tighten.

"Astrid." He says softly in his sleep, and it made me smile as I gently nudged closer to him so our bodies could fully touch. My forehead lightly touching his as I let my eyes close again.

"I'm here." I whisper lightly, not expecting him to respond, but hoping he can hear me in his dreams. That maybe my voice can help guide him to a better dream, one that gave him better rest and helped his mind find peace on this troubled night. What I did not expect was feeling his lips lightly press against mine. Keeping my eyes closed as our lips just barely touched, I only opened them when I felt them part and saw his emerald eyes lightly opened with a genuine smile on his face.

"Did I wake you?" He asks softly, completely unaware that he spoke my name first, it seems, which only made my smile widen as I lightly shake my head.

"Not at all, I've been awake." I answer quietly, smiling at barely above a whisper. He sounded a little better, his tone wasn't strained. "What woke you?" I ask and he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, pulling me closer so our lips can brush together again.

"I'm not going to dwell. I've dwelled and struggled with what if's and failures I've made before and it's gotten us nowhere. Like Viggo always seeming a step ahead of us, Krogan when he first took the Edge, my dad when he almost died the first time. I won't dwell. It may take me time to fully deal with it, but I'll learn, and grow." Hiccup explains softly to me as I smile, listening to him.

"What made you come to this?" I ask, enjoying hearing him talk positively about an unfortunate situation.

"Everything; and one thing, you. I know that no matter what, we'll make it through these things together." He explains and I nod, kissing him again.

"Sounds right to me." I whisper against his lips, cupping his cheek. He smiles, brushing a strand of hair from my face as our noses barely touch. I can feel him inch closer, and one of his legs interlocking with mine as I feel my own heartbeat increase. "Something on your mind?" I ask teasingly as he nods.

"You could say that." He whispers and rolls on top of me, pressing his lips to mine as our tongues meet for the tasteful dance, we had grown so accustomed too. I loved the feeling of his tongue wrapping around mine, of our lips locking and pressing against each other as our bodies subtly grinding against the others entirely.

By intwining his leg, he had wriggled it so that when he rolled on top of me, he slid in between my legs, our hips pressing together with little more than the barest of undergarments as a barrier. I could feel him press against me as I struggled between needing to breath and wanting to keep our lips locked. When both our lips broke and he lifted just enough, our panting gazes met each other's as I bit my lip and smiled.

"Assuming, of course, you're thinking the same thing." He adds softly as I nod, wrapping my legs around his back as I lean up to peck him lightly on the lips as I fall back against the pillow and smile.

"One of my favorite things to think about." I admit, my face flushing red as I feel his hands glide down my sides. The blanket hooking over his shoulders still, keeping in the warmth for the moment, though once we started, the blanket would be no more. Luckily, there was no trick or challenge to undoing the sashes that were our undergarments and within moments, Hiccup had undone both of ours and pressed his member against my area.

Smiling before going any further, he pulled his hips away and slide one of his fingers down there, letting it slip right inside me eliciting a swift and light moan from my lips. Any touch of his, any affection, nearly any type of physical interaction with him excited my body. That even a single finger, on its initial entry, could make my hips grind and back arch slightly was both euphoric and ironic. Maybe that was why we avoided excessive displays of physical affection on the Edge because I'm sure I felt the same then as I do now. A bit younger, a tad more awkward perhaps but we had grown so comfortable with each other. I daresay I would've tried to entice a move from him during our first private picnic if the twins weren't all over the place back then.

I could already feel the passion as he slid his finger back and forth a few times before bringing it up to his lips and sliding his finger in his mouth while looking at me. I bit my lip in a smile while watching as he takes his finger out and gently presses it to my lips before I let them part and take his finger in my mouth, his hips reconnecting with mine.

"Are you ready?" He asks me and I smile, I could feel the slick, wetness between my legs and could taste it on his finger. I was more than ready, the heat in my body was shooting towards the sky in anticipation as my legs around his back tightened and I nodded.

"And waiting." I playfully whisper as I guide my hand down his chest and feel for his member. "Let me help." I add, guiding it to my entrance, never taking my eyes from his. With my hands, I brush just the tip of his member against the opening and smile, letting it sit barely parting my southern lips. "Do it." I whisper, not hiding the longing in my voice and he nodded, smiling and pressing his hips fully to mine, slowly. I felt every inch of him as he entered and filled me, my eyes rolling back as my back arched and my head fell back against the pillow. The ease in which I could get lose in the throes of our passion was frightening and reassuring. If there were two places I felt at my safest, it was either on Stormfly's back, or in Hiccup's arms and I imagine it was the exact same for him.

*********************************

I had woken from a steady dream, reliving the death scene of Krogan multiple times before finding solace in Astrid's eyes. She was the star in my dreams that guided me to safety, that gave me warmth from my cold demons that haunted me. Her in my arms and me in hers was my place of comfort, my place of happiness. I could always find solace on Toothless's back, thousands of feet in the air; he was my best friend, and Astrid was my partner in life.

Waking up in the middle of the night, even due to some darkened dream, to Astrid's soft embrace that quickly led to us tussling in the throes of our passion was something out of my best dreams. Feeling her legs tighten around my back, pulling my hips against hers as I feel her muscles tighten around my member as I slide fully within her. Her moans and soft, warm breath gliding across my bare neck as her hands have wrapped around my neck, helping her to guide her hips as she literally hangs from my neck and back.

Pressing down against the bedding, thrusting back and forth, grinding with each thrust and letting my member linger longer as I move it around, letting her feel it as it explores every inch of her inside. Feeling her teeth as she bites down on my neck, stifling a moan as her body shudders from the sheer passion and pleasure we are both feeling. I couldn't see it this second, but watching her eyes roll back on the initial entry was enticing and gave me a certain degree of pleasure in simply witnessing.

I've said it before, I don't even feel the need to release within her to be happy, just making her feel this way. Watching her body erupt in passion, tasting her when she does and making her erupt again, and again. Listening to her euphoric cries of pleasure as she calls out my name. This was what I longed for, not the simple act of me releasing inside of her. Though, she did enjoy the feeling of me releasing within her, especially if we could time it in such a way that we released together. That held it's own level of euphoria that was unmatched. It truly is something spectacular to reach that point at the same time as your lover; and it almost feels as though, in that very moment, our very souls touch in pleasure.

I feel her muscles contract around me again as I thrust within, her stifled moans prompting me to faster as she sharply intakes breath with each thrust, and moans to a shudder with each grinding of our hips. I kiss down her neckline while my hips move, finding the soft spot I have come to know and love as I bite down on it, feeling her nails dig lightly into my shoulder blades as her arms part lightly. Hooking on my shoulder instead of behind my neck, her grip strong as she returns the favor. There was something to be said for pleasure through controlled and passionate pain, as Vikings, we lived with pain and very rarely got to experience any sort of pain that wasn't related to battle. That said, our bites quickly turns to light kisses of the same area we had bit as our hips grind passionately together.

"Hiccup. Hi-Hiccup! Don't st-stop." I hear her exclaim through breathless moans as she tightens her area around my member, grinding her hips up and hard against mine. I could feel the slickness of her area coating my member and sliding down my thighs as I connect my lips to hers, brushing against them.

"Astrid. I'm al-almost the-there!" I answer through a pant as she bites my lip and tugs lightly before moaning, rocking her head back and grinding back against me.

"Go. Go! By the gods, Hiccup!" She exclaims, struggling hard not to just let her voice be carried through the whole village as her cry of passion is replaced by a stifled moan and sharp intake of breath as I feel her legs tighten and lock behind me as they start shaking. Her muscles tightening again as I let myself release within her, not slowly my pace but rather increasing it. Each thrust prompted a new moan from her as we were both releasing together, and I was filling her up.

After several moments of being completely lost in the throes of passion as we released together in what felt like a blissful eternity, I felt my arms which had been propping me up, give way as I then lay fully on her and roll to the side. Laying on one of her shaky legs as she rolls with me, her eyes still closed as she's biting her lip and moaning softly as her body subsides. I lean in and press my lips to hers and she quickly returns the kiss as our tongues meet and taste one another again, it was a taste I adored. All of her, every inch that my tongue had explored, had been sublime and perfect to me. Her tongue was no different, as I loved feeling it wrap and dance with mine. Breaking away only after our lungs decided we needed air more than we needed each other's taste, we gazed into each other's eyes while we softly panted with a smile.

"I think we." Astrid begins, pausing as she breathes. "I think we both needed that." She finishes as I smile and nod.

"I'll certainly be sleeping much more soundly now with you naked in my arms." I answer and she blushes, playfully slapping my shoulder as I shrug. "What?" I ask teasingly as she shakes her head.

"Nothing, it's just, I don't know." She admits and I smile, moving another strand of hair that had been blocking part of her eye as I look into them both.

"Good, because I adore every inch of your body. I would worship it, revel in it. You are a beautiful woman, and I appreciate you; your mind, body and soul." I say as she smiles, her cheeks still flushed as she gazes back at me.

"And I appreciate you, in every way there is. There is no doubt in my mind that we truly are a match made in Valhalla. You…" She pauses, looking away briefly and smiling widely before returning her gaze to me. "You make me happy, Hiccup. I am grateful to have you in my life the way I do." She says softly as I lean in and kiss her forehead before resting my forehead against hers and kissing her lips lightly.

"You make me happy, and I wouldn't trade this, right here." I say, pausing as I hold both of her hands between us and look into her eyes. "for anything in the entire world. I'm glad we are the way we are together. We aren't like most Viking couples." I add and she laughs, nodding and rolling her eyes.

"No kidding. Sexual pleasure aside, we see each other differently than most couples see each other. Some even grow to resent each other." Astrid says softly and I nod, kissing her hands and smiling.

"Never here. I could never resent you, even when we disagree. We are in this together, and I'll support you as you have supported me, no matter what." I state softly but strongly, and she smiles, kissing my lips lightly before laughing quietly to herself.

"I love your pillow talk and how sensitive you are. Yet another way we're different; we actually care." She adds and I smile.

"I love these little pillow talk sessions between us after we… uh, ya know, get done." I say sheepishly and she laughs, shaking her head and kissing me.

"That's one way to put it, mmm." She responds, teasingly including a moan at the end of her sentence as I nod along.

We stay like that for several more minutes, exchanging random pillow talk words of love and admiration to each other before sleep slowly begins to overtake us both. This time, my dreams are not haunted by the death of Krogan as they had been. Instead, all I dream of is Astrid and the future I see with her. I see us standing underneath a mistletoe in our own house during Snoggletog, kissing happily. I see a trio of silhouettes running around as we exchange gifts and go about the town together. I see us lost in the throes of passion again later that night. I dream of a happy ending, one I am willing to fight and live for, for her and all of us.


	55. Soar

The cold bit across my face as I forced my eyes open to see the quasi-darkness that filled the room. The night had always seemed darkest just before dawn as I had come so accustomed to waking before the village since my forced ascension to Chief. A crisp cool breeze sweep through the skylight as my eyes traced the silhouettes in the room. I could easily see the shadowy mound that was Toothless in the corner and knew that Stormfly had found a perch downstairs. The dragons had begun sleeping inside more with us as winter approached.

When I was a child, I used to hate it here, saying it was nothing more than hail and snow but that couldn't be further from the truth. We had close to three months during the summer where the only snow was on the peaks, though the air was still cold. We were nearing the winter season, and snowfall would be coming to Berk soon. I had wanted to break the Trappers before the winter but with how many resources they have in the Archipelago, it seemed like that would be impossible. This effort would take months, though with the only other Leviathan-class dragon in the known world in a forced exile, no single dragon would challenge Toothless. With all the dragons we were setting free that came to call Berk their home, no army would dare outright attack us; even back when Johann and Krogan were working together with the Dragon Flyers on the Singetails, they wouldn't attack the dragon fortress that Berk had become.

I could take solace in that we were safe in that regard, and with their best assassin taken down, the warlords would have to resort to conventional warfare as the only method they knew. This, of course, would be a waste of time against us as the Berkian way of life was anything but conventional.

I could also take solace in the resting face that slept next to me. She usually woke with me when I got up but as I had not yet moved, she must've been enjoying the last few moments of rest. I smile softly as I study her beautiful features, her unbraided hair that she only lets down in front of me, her warm face that could fool anyone with the warrior that hid beneath it.

Stirring slightly, I brush the hair from her face to her side, behind her ear as I rest my forehead against hers and see her smile lightly. She was awake, she had to be. Either that, or her subconscious knew where she was and was happy for her. Either way, I let my eyes linger before she slowly opened hers and her smile widened.

"Good morning." I whisper as she closes her eyes again and opens them, inching closer and pressing her body to me. I could feel her hands find the sheets on her back and tug them closer.

"Good morning." She replies softly and we lay there in relative silence for a moment, just shifting between a soft, loving gaze to our eyes closing as our bodies adjusted. "What's the plan for today?" She asks after a few minutes.

"Dawn-lit patrol of the island. Check on Seamus and Agnar, check in with Gobber and the Riders and send that Terror Mail to my mother." I say as she nods solemnly, her grin fading lightly. Responsibility truly never rests no matter how much I wish it could. "After that, if all goes well, maybe find time for a relaxing flight, just us." I add and her smile returns as she nods.

"I like the sound of that." She whispers and kisses me lightly on the lips. We both then rise together and clean ourselves up, dressing and having a light breakfast together.

Following that, we finished suiting up in our flight suits. One of the benefits of the dragon scale flight suit is that it really helped offset the cold of the air and area we lived in. It wasn't perfect, but the wind wouldn't cut through it like our normal cloths and it retained heat like dragon scales. Astrid's flight suit looked amazing on her; form fitted to her body with Stormfly's scales. I admit, I might be letting my eyes linger just a bit longer than I should be, but she doesn't seem to mind when she catches them.

"Uh, uh. Oh, Chief. Head in the game, maybe we can find time today for you to do more than just stare." She teases as I smirk, shaking my head as she finishes suiting up.

"What, you mean like pinning you to the wall in the Dragon Academy and taking you there?" I retort playfully as she nearly trips and clears her throat with a flushed face and smile.

"Uh, yeah, I mean… I wouldn't say no to that happening again." She admits as I smile and grab her hip, pulling her closer and kissing her passionately. Breaking the kiss, my lips brushing hers as her face is rosary red, I nod.

"It was pretty awesome, certainly, got, the, blood… pumping." I tease, kissing her again ever so lightly as she audibly groans and pulls me in for a real one. Our lips linger as she breaks, shaking her head.

"I swear, you are the worst. And by worst, I mean best. Stop now or I'll rip that suit off you." She says in a very serious, although barely controlled tone as I could just barely see her lip as she licked it. Smiling, I nod.

"Decisions, decision. Maybe that's exactly what I want you to do." I answer playfully as she rolls her eyes and smiles.

"Yeah, me too. Patrol and check in with others first. Then we find a nice spot and see which one of us gives in first." She retorts, poking my chest before moving away as I nod, smiling.

"Challenge accepted, Milady. I'll see you give in first." I answer and she only shakes her head as we both make our way to our dragons. Heading upstairs, I pat Toothless down as he rises and she gets Stormfly up and within minutes, we both take off through the sky light in our room. Taking to the air and darting straight up, our dragons had become a sight to see when flying together. Spiraling upwards with both bellies facing each other before we each arc a different direction and level out together, we can see the sun barely rising on the horizon.

Soaring higher together as we circle Berk together from up high, looking out at the barely lit horizon and seeing nothing but calm and serene waters. I'm suddenly reminded of that time I had taken my dad up this high when he was still struggling to accept that the dragon way can be the viking way. He had talked about being able to see his people from this high, in peace and it giving him happiness. That may well have been what finally convinced him to open to the idea of getting a dragon, the utility of it an added benefit.

"I know that look, what're you thinking about?" Astrid calls out to me as we circle lower, taking in the quiet streets of Berk. Almost all the dragons except for the Stroker Classes like the Nightmare were sleeping in the pens below the city, and even some of them. The streets were calm and only a few houses had the flicker of candlelight. It brought me a degree of happiness not unlike what my father must've felt.

"These are our people, Astrid. Just rising for the day, peaceful. Yesterday was a struggle but look at the calm. This was what finally got my dad on the back of a dragon. Seeing the village from this height, knowing everyone was safe. It is a good feeling." I explain and I can see her expression soften into a light smile as she nods.

"I understand, Hiccup. It is a good feeling." She reaffirms as the sun slowly starts rising higher than the horizon. Soon, Gothi would be up and we'd be able to check on Seamus and Agnar. Hopefully, their recovery was going well, we could all use a bit of good news right now.

*********************************

We ended up circling the island a couple more times, giving ample time for the sun to fully rise and movement to start being seen on the ground beneath us. The seas stayed clear and the sky quiet, the crisp cool wind was almost refreshing against the dragon scale suit and no longer chilled to the bone. Though off in the far horizon, with the sun having fully risen and beginning its ascent, to the north was a layered and endless view of dark clouds.

"Hiccup!" I call out, pointing out the clouds as he nods. "Heavy storm clouds coming our way, maybe a couple days out." I say

"We'll scout further north in a day or so to check out the storm front to see if it's snow or hail, and batten down the village. Come on, I see movement at Gothi's hut, let's check on Seamus and Agnar!" He calls back and I nod, turning Stormfly to follow him as he dives Toothless down towards Gothi's hut.

Landing, we are soon met with Gothi who exits her hut as she hears us land, with her stick. Motioning us inside, we follow and find both on a pair of beds. She was old and never spoke, but she was wise and observant. Seamus heard us enter and sat up slowly with a wince and nodded to us both.

"Chief Hiccup, General." Seamus says through a pained groan as Gothi props a pillow against his back.

"Hey, Seamus. How are you feeling?" Hiccup asks as we both move to his side.

"Better now, Gothi tells me I've a broken rib bone which will take time to heal. Agnar has a broken rib bone as well, though his left leg was dislocated. I should be up and out before he is, but Gothi says we'll both recover." Seamus explains.

"That's excellent, We're glad to hear that." Hiccup says as I nod.

"You both did more than we asked you too, we're glad you survived." I add as Seamus smiles weakly.

"I don't think we were on Krogan's list, we were just in his way. What-" He adds, hissing through a wince as he shifts. "What happened, no one told us?"

I glance to Hiccup who shifts uncomfortably and rubs the back of his neck as he glances to me and I can see him struggling briefly as I nod. Placing a hand on his shoulder he nods and we look back to Seamus.

"Hiccup and I tracked him down to the forest where he tried to ambush us. He knocked Hiccup off Toothless and they tumbled down a hill. He was trying to claim Hiccup's life but Hiccup gained the upper hand. Krogan didn't survive." I explain as briefly and without detail as I can as Seamus's eyes widen and he glances to Hiccup.

"Well fought, Chief. That man was evil, and you did us all a favor by sending him to the afterlife. I'm proud to call you my chief." Seamus says, extending his larger, burly arm which Hiccup takes in a forearm grip and nods.

"Let me know if you or Agnar need anything." Hiccup finishes before standing. I could tell he was still struggling with dealing with his actions when talking about it to others, but he was at least able accept the praise I knew the people who have for him.

Together, we both leave after that and head straight to the Forge where Gobber is already at, pounding away at some iron working on some project. We land and enter the Forge where Gobber greets us with a wave of his mallet attachment.

"Oi! If it isn't the Astrid and Hiccup! I was gonna be lookin' for ye lot a li'l later. I 'eard what happened with Krogan. Hiccup. You did the right thing, Stoick would've done the same. Maybe it doesn't feel right, I can see it on yer face, but it was." Gobber explains before we even have a chance to speak, it was helping me that much of Hiccup's support base supported his actions.

"Thanks, Gobber. Anything happen I need to know about?" Hiccup asks as Gobber nods, holding out a parchment.

"Oh, aye. I got this Terror Mail yesterday afternoon, after the whole Krogan thing. Yer mother is about a day or so from Hysteria on the boat." Gobber explains as Hiccup nods.

"Right! Reply to that, please, and tell her about what happened with Krogan. We can't promise to bring him before a summit to answer for his crimes thanks to what happened." Hiccup says.

"No, but I'm sure the those at the summit will be understanding and glad to see his reign of terror end one way or the other." I add softly, placing a hand on Hiccup's shoulder as Gobber nods.

"Astrid's right, he was a menace. No one is gonna be sad he's gone. Well, maybe except those war lords. Who even calls themselves war lords. I mean, honestly. They haven't done too well so far have they. Warlords. Pffah. More like Bore Lords." Gobber rants as he hits a sheet of metal, prompting both Hiccup and I to laugh quietly.

"So, can you send that mail?" Hiccup asks.

"You got it, Chief. I was gonna say, you have been working hard against the trappers and Krogan. Take a break. With winter on the horizon, Berk will be buttoning up. We've got food in the store to last months, we're actually prepared for this one. Due in no small part thanks to you, Chief." Gobber says as I nod, smiling. Gobber may smell bad and have a surly attitude but he was a pure of heart Viking.

"That's a great idea." I add with a smile.

"You too, lass. Berk's doing really well right now. Ain't nothing gonna happen til we hear from yer mother again or you decide to hit another trapper base. I've seen the stormfront, even the trappers will be hard pressed to do anything of value during this weather." Gobber adds as I nod.

"What about everything else that—" Hiccup begins as Gobber shakes his head.

"Look, Chief. You're chiefing is different than yer father's. Stoick was a very hands-on during times of great struggle and war. Thanks largely to you and yer riders, we have more allies now than we have enemies. We actually have a stockpile, trained dragons, trained riders and good trade. And with Mildew gone, no one really gripes about anything anymore." Gobber adds and I see Hiccup shake his head.

"No, Gobber, I-" Hiccup begins again before I interrupt him this time.

"Hiccup, Gobber has been with Stoick as Chief and now you, I think we can take his word for it. You are doing a great job, even if you do it differently, that doesn't make it less. Gobber, can you?" I ask as he nods.

"Say no more, lass. I can cover any griping for a couple days til the storm, and if anything can't be handled, I'll just hit 'em with a mallet and you can handle it later." Gobber adds with his smile and mallet held high.

"Alright, let's go round up the riders." Hiccup says, looking to me as I nod with a smile. Splitting up, we round up the entire air squadron of riders, the entire A team and Riders and have them meet us at the Academy which doesn't take long. Soon, everyone is there as Hiccup stands in front of them, pacing.

"Alright, riders. As you all know by now, Krogan is dead. I appreciate everyone's quick reaction to yesterdays events. That said, we're expecting a storm in a couple days, so we won't be hitting any trappers until the storm front blows over. Astrid and I will be flying to Berserker Island to check in with them. Snotlout, Fishlegs. I want you both to fly to Outcast Island and check in with Alvin, make sure they have provisions for the incoming storm. If they do, just come on back and button down. The horizon looked bad." Hiccup explains before glancing to Gustov.

"A team, we'll be keeping the ships anchored, so you will need to make sure our waters stay clear. If anyone spots anything out of the ordinary, find any of the Riders immediately and we'll rally to check it out." Hiccup adds as Snotlout leans back.

"As if, who'd be stupid enough to attack Berk now. We're like, a dragon fortress." Snotlout jests, though Hiccup's face is unamused.

"That didn't stop Krogan from nearly killing Seamus and Agnar, and murdering Arne." Hiccup retorts as Snotlout gulps and nods.

"Yeah, good point. Okay, Fishface, to Outcast Island!" Snotlout exclaims as Fishlegs rolls his eyes and nods.

"We'll be back soon, Hiccup. And just for the record, I speak for everyone when I say you did the right thing with Krogan." Fishlegs adds before taking off with Snotlout.

"Yeah, who knew our fearless leader had that in him. It was quite, spectacular." Tuffnut adds as Ruffnut nods.

"I concur, brother nut. Hiccup ended one of our most dire enemies who has consistently bested us." Ruffnut adds

"I concur with your concuration, sister nut." Tuffnut responds as we all shake our heads with light smiles.

"Okay, moving on. Tuff, Ruff, while Snotlout and Fishlegs are gone, work with the A team." Hiccup adds as the twins both groan.

"And suddenly, our fearless chief becomes a tyrannical dictator. Sucking away the fun we had planned for the day and replacing it with work." Tuffnut exclaims as I shake my head.

"What fun? Tuff, you guys were probably just going to annoy people with pranks." I retort as he exhales in a feigned expression of disbelief as my eyes narrow.

"How dare you, A. You know that is the very definition of fun!" Tuffnut adds as Ruffnut nods.

"Indeed, it is a matter of perspective, is it not. Much like the difference between a symbiotic and parasitic relationship." Ruffnut adds as I groan.

"Oh, boy." I mutter as Hiccup genuinely laughs.

"Okay, okay. Yes, I'm sorry, guys, you will need to work with the A team for now." Hiccup states as they both sigh and nod. "Astrid and I are heading out soon."

"As you say, my fearless tyrannical chief." Tuff retorts as the rest of them circle up.

Hiccup and I walk our dragons to the ledge and glance at each other with a smile, moving our dragons closer so our hands could touch as he nods.

"So, how about that nice, relaxing flight to Berserker Island." He suggests and I nod.

"Sounds perfect, I'm ready if you are." I add and he smiles, squeezing my hand.

"For you, I'm always ready." He says before releasing my hand. We then ready our dragons and take off together. The cool air refreshing as soon there is nothing beneath us but open ocean and nothing ahead of us but cloudy skies and a semi-clear horizon. From berk, there wasn't an island visible besides the neighboring sea stacks as a great deal of them had been demolished by the screaming death. Not that it mattered, the flight to Berserker Island was pleasant and one I'd enjoy. Plus, I always liked seeing Heather and my mind was already thinking of possibilities for Hiccup and I to disappear somewhere on their island. We'd see, maybe Mala would even be there.


	56. Berserker Island

Hiccup and I decided to take the scenic route to Berserker Island, flying further south and heading down towards Mystery and The Waterlands. Most of what was once known as the Mazy Multitudes was nothing more than small stacks of rocks after being destroyed by dragons such as Drago's Leviathan or the Screaming Death. This made the flight down south clear and enjoyable. Hiccup and I were flying closely together, not really talking, and just taking in the sights together. Every so often I would see his eyes drift to me, and a smile crease his face as our gazes met during flight. When we neared Mystery, I nudged closer to Toothless's flight and got his attention.

"I was thinking you and I should scout Mystery together one of these days. No one from the Archipelago has ever set foot on it." I suggest as he laughs.

"Yeah, cause no ships can pull up to it. It's entirely cliffs and the few times we've flown over it, it seems like it's a giant chasm with a forest inside. We've never landed there, but also never seen signs of dragons." Hiccup responds as I nod. "Even when I was scouting for new dragons, before we left for the Edge and the Great Beyond, I scouted Mystery while everyone else had their own drives.." Hiccup adds before smiling. "Never landed there though. We could do that together." He finishes as I smile and nod.

"That sounds good to me. Between the two of us, we're ready for anything that island could throw at us." I add as he flies closer and reaches out his hand. I extend mine and they connect as our dragon's let their wings glide.

"We're unstoppable together." He says with a smile as I nod.

"So, maybe after Berserker Island, we check it out? We've got a couple days before we need to button down for the storm anyways and we won't be hitting any trappers until after the storm. Maybe could be a little get away for us." I suggest as he nods.

"Sounds perfect to me, Berk can survive just fine as is with us being a little late from Berserker Island. I doubt Dagur and Heather will let us leave without treating us to food, though, especially if Mala is there." Hiccup adds.

"Plus, it's been a couple years since the war with Johann. We haven't visited since then, so I imagine they've grown quite a bit. Given how much we have." I continue as he laughs and nods.

"Yeah, they took a lot of our designs and now that the King of Dragon's no longer lives under their island, they can all have dragons there." Hiccup says as we start nearing Berserker Island. We can see it on the horizon, and it is easily triple the size of Berk as a whole.

As we flew closer, Berserker Island was beautiful with an extended Dragon's stables that mimicked the one we had at the Edge only had grown much larger to seemingly hold dozens of dragons comfortable. The city below the stables had grown much larger as Dagur had successfully relocated his people back to the island. They have almost double our number of Vikings and easily double our amount of ships in dock and around their waters. I notice several small dots above the island and as we get closer, I see a pair of Berserkers on a pair of dragons and stare in awe.

"Hiccup!" I yell out, pointing to the pair of flyers as they approach us on two Nightmares. We fly towards the flyers as they wave us down and fly closer to us.

"If it isn't Chief Hiccup. Chief Dagur has said you are always welcome here. Follow me." He says in a monotone and leads both of us down to the main lay of the city. "He's in there." He says, pointing out a large building in the center of the town. We nod in appreciation and fly down.

Hopping off our dragons, we approach the large building and open the door to find Dagur sitting on a large throne with a paper pad before him and a few Vikings in front of his throne-like chair. Heather and Windshear were off to the right side with her arms crossed as I spotted Sleuther hanging from the rafters above. Mala was sitting next to Dagur as she looked on the paper he seemed to be reviewing. It seemed to be some sort of dispute or gripe he was dealing with. Heather almost immediately spotted us as we entered, and she hits Dagur on the shoulder and points to us. Dagur literally throws the papers up and hops off his large chair as Mala catches the paper swiftly.

"BROTHER!" Dagur exclaims and rushes towards us, quickly gripping Hiccup in a bear hug and lifting him from his feat.

"Oh, hey! Hi! Dagur! Still, uh, hurts!" Hiccup strains as I laugh lightly. Dagur had always been incredibly strong, and Hiccup had grown to be no slouch himself, but he was in no way on Dagur's level.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Dagur says, releasing him and hugging me much lighter as Heather and Mala approach. Heather and I exchange a hug as I nod to Mala. Mala shakes her head and hugs me as I smile, I was still sort of unsure how to address Mala.

"We're extended family not to mention staunch allies, Astrid. Hugging is more than acceptable." Mala says as I nod, smiling.

"Absolutely. I consider us family." I respond in kind as Mala smiles.

"So, brother, what brings you two here? Looking for a vacation get away? I always knew you were a ladies man." Dagur says, teasingly jabbing at both of us with his arm as Hiccup groans and I roll my eyes but we both end up laughing.

"No, no. I come with news and to check up on you guys. I noticed you have a pair of flyers?" Hiccup asks

"That would be all Heather. Awhile ago she picked out some and started their training in between helping you lot. I may have helped guide them in her absence but it was really all her effort. Since you captured Krogan a couple days ago, she's been putting them through their paces and we finally have a working aerial squadron of ten strong. Two Zipplebacks, Two Gronkles, Three Nadders and Three Nightmares." Dagur explains as I look to Heather.

"Impressive. That's what I did with Berk's Auxiliary Team." I admit and she nods.

"That's where I got a lot of the idea from, when you told me about them. I owe a lot, or, well, everything to what I learned from you two." Heather answers as we hit arms and smile.

"Glad to help." I state and she smirks.

"So, Mala, how long are you here?" Hiccup asks as she glances to Dagur and shrugs.

"We were in the middle of settling a marital arbitration. One of Dagur's citizens, a wonderful warrior viking woman named Tora and one of the Defenders, Leif, want to be married. It would be the first official union other than Dagur and I between our two tribes." Mala explains as Dagur nods, pointing behind them.

"That's them, actually. They each want the official ceremony to be held on their own home island." Dagur explains as we nod along.

"Dagur and I both agree that we must find a way to compromise." Mala continues as I feel Hiccup's hand slip into mine as I glance at him and he smiles.

"If they want common ground, what about holding it at Berk? Or the Edge, a halfway point between islands. Symbolizing their will to go to great lengths to be together." Hiccup suggest as Mala smiles and Dagur nearly exudes delight.

"Oh, ho, ho! I love your little Hiccup-y ideas. Maybe!" Dagur exclaims and as he turns to move back to them, Hiccup stops them.

"Uh, maybe after the storm, though." Hiccup adds and Dagur and Mala turn back to us.

"What storm?" Dagur asks as both he and Mala look concerned. Hiccup nods and lets loose a light sigh.

"Part of why I came here. Let's find a place to talk, we've got some other news to talk about." Hiccup suggest and together, the five of us head to a back room in the large building after Dagur tells the young couple to be patient while they convene. I looked to those two with a mild envy as I walked with the married couple, Dagur and Mala. I wanted my love for Hiccup to be so public at this point. There was a point when I wanted to keep it quiet since it was so new, but I was long past that. There were still awkward moments when we talked about it in public, but that was only because of how far Hiccup and I had gone together in private without fully being wed. Patience, I just had to have patience. My love for him, and his for me, would not grow any weaker with time.

*********************************

We soon find ourselves sitting in what can only be described as a war room, which makes sense on Berserker Island. The large centerpiece of the room was a giant map of the archipelago with ship lanes and dragon paths; sightings of trappers and a detailed outline of their port. It was far more detailed than anything I've done for Berk, which just goes to show the warring mind that Dagur still had. He had certainly changed, but his battle knowledge had only grown more refined in the years and this map was honestly impressive. Sitting us down and grabbing us all a few mugs of mead, Dagur, Mala and Heather look to Astrid and I for the news we came to bear. I'll admit, still talking about my slaying of Krogan was a challenge.

"First, and most importantly, you will probably see it on the horizon tomorrow. There is a large stormfront moving in from the north that will strike Outcast Island tomorrow and hit Berk the day after. It'll likely hit Berserker Island the day after that, it looks really bad. I've ordered some Riders to Outcast Island to make sure their supplied for a haul and Berk is buttoning down. We came here to see if you needed anything and to warn you, we've far from forgotten how you helped us after Johann." I explain as Dagur nods along, looking to Mala.

"Too dangerous to fly in?" Mala questions as I glance to Astrid who nods.

"From the looks of it, it was really bad. I'd wager we'll see later water spouts as well as lightning. It'd be dangerous to try flying in. How are your people on Defender's?" Astrid asks as Mala smiles.

"We are well prepared for any storm, though from the sounds of it, it has likely already it. Throk is well versed in caring for the tribe in my absence and with the heat from the active volcano, the cold won't be unbearable for them. I'm confident in their preparedness. How about our people here?" Mala asks, turning to Dagur.

"We've recovered since the war with Krogan and Johann, our supplies are a little light but we'll survive a hefty storm just fine. Especially if we spend the next couple of days rounding up emergency supplies. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, brother." Dagur says, glancing to me then to Astrid. "And sister." He adds with a smile.

"Uh, yeah… there's, um, there's more." I stammer. Sitting at the table, I feel Astrid's hand rest on my leg as she smiles towards me and nods. Reassuring me to be honest and talk about it. Taking a deep breath, I nod.

"So, there was an incident with Krogan." I begin as all three of them almost erupt at once.

"Did he hurt anyone?" Heather asks

"Did he escape?" Dagur asks

"Is he dead?!" Mala asks, all three almost in unison as I wince with each question.

"Um, yes. Yes, and yes." I add, pointing to each of them separately as they gasp, sitting back. Sighing and shaking my head, rubbing the back of my neck I nod. "So, he escaped and hurt two of my people. He also killed the turncoat trapper known as Arne. It was a brutal slaying. We're lucky he didn't kill anyone else. Astrid and I tracked him into the forest. He tackled me off of Toothless, and we tumbled down a hill. There was a knife and a dragon spine and… well it was me or him and I got the upper hand." I explain slowly, my eyes lightly closed. Looking away from them I shake my head. "I'm sorry, guys. I know we wanted to bring him to that summit, to make him answer before the Chief's of the Archipelago. I messed up." I admit, opening my eyes lightly to see Astrid smiling softly at me. She sees me glance at her and she nods her head towards the others.

As I look, I barely have enough time to comprehend what I am seeing as Dagur closes the distance between us shockingly fast and takes me into yet another Dagur-bear hug and I struggle for breath. Heather and Mala both approach and hug me as well and as I'm released, I feel Dagur's hand on my shoulder.

"Brother, none of us think you messed up. If anything, I'm proud you ended Krogan's miserable life and that you did it before he could hurt you, Astrid or anyone else in your tribe. He was a menace." Dagur explains as Mala nods along.

"Would we have liked to have him executed before the Summit of Chiefs, yes. Will we be able to accept and appreciate that his own actions led to his death before that, and that now our waters are all the safer because of it, yes." Mala adds.

"It was going to be one of our main factors to get others like the Hysterics involved." I admit and Dagur shrugs.

"I'm not too worried about what those brutes think. Besides, their form of justice is usually much worse and equally as bloody. I've had dealings with them before. Remember, The Berserkers had a treaty, of sorts, with every tribe in the Archipelago because no one wanted us to raid them. The name still inspires that, even if our actions and culture have changed dramatically since then." Dagur adds.

"Ohh, well, okay. That's what people keep saying." I add as Astrid smiles, shaking her head.

"Hiccup, everyone knows you did the right thing. No one will fault you for killing Krogan, no one." Astrid adds as Heather steps forward.

"Definitely. Though I am curious how?" Heather admits as I groan and glance to Astrid who smiles again.

"I watched it happen but was powerless to stop it. Krogan had one of Stormfly's spines, and Hiccup had this dagger." Astrid begins, pointing to the dagger she had given me that is on my gauntlet. "There was a tussle and Krogan slipped up, and, well… Hiccup's dagger went deep into Krogan's neck." Astrid explains.

"Impressive. You have a little Berserker blood in you, after all, eh, Brother?" Dagur adds with a grin as I sigh.

"Come, let's have a dinner before you two go on your way back home. I'll take stock and send you a air mail if we are in dire need but I am confident we will be fine." Dagur adds and glances to Mala with a grin. "Plus, being locked down with my Mala-Pooh in utter isolation during a cold winter storm." Dagur begins, rubbing his nose to hers as she giggles.

"I could certainly think of worse ways to spend the time." Mala adds as Heather groans.

"See what I've been dealing with?" Heather exclaims to Astrid and I as we both glance at each other and I feel my cheeks flush as I see Astrid's color rosary red. Laughing awkwardly, I glance to Heather and shrug.

"We're actually much worse, well, in private." I sheepishly admit as Heather rolls her eyes and nods.

"Oh, I can imagine. I also can't imagine myself finding someone like that to be with, so I guess I'll live vicariously through you guys." Heather retorts, looking between both Astrid and I, and Dagur and Mala.

"I'm sure any one of the men of the Defenders would be honored to marry you, Heather, what of Throk?" Mala suggests as Heather groans.

"Okay, not that again. How about that food!" Heather exclaims and moves away. "I'll get it, you two pairs of love birds stay here." Heather adds and leaves the room.

"So, when will you two marry?" Mala asks suddenly as I nearly choke on my mead and Astrid laughs.

"By the gods, again with that." I stammer as Astrid pats my back, stifling a laugh.

"After we deal with the trappers. We just couldn't justify it with the threat still out there, it'd get in the way of our duties as Riders." Astrid explains for me as I clear out my windpipe. Dagur pats my on the shoulder as I growl softly and frown.

"Don't mind them much, Mala. I've noticed it, they are still a bit awkward discussing their future. Rest assured though, I've never seen a pair of people more in love, well, besides us, maybe." Dagur adds as Mala laughs, taking Dagur's hand and smiling.

"I don't know, my beloved. I noticed their affection for each other when they first set foot on my island, even then, their connection was deep. Even if it was unspoken. They may well have us beat, not that it means my love for you is anything less or that it has or will dwindle." Mala adds as I feel my face flush. Astird's hand finds mine and she leans against my side and smiles.

"True words, my love. What these two share is deep." Dagur adds.

"You know we are right here." I interject as they both laugh as Heather returns with a healthy supply of Yakchops, Fish, Chicken and mead.

"We had some on the queue already as it was nearing that time. Eat up before your flight, did I miss anything?" Heather asks as we all laugh lightly.

"Nope, just observations from your brother." I explain and she nods, smiling.

"Yes, he does like to claim he is ever observant." Heather retorts, glancing back to Dagur who shrugs.

"But dear sister, I am! Ha ha ha!" Dagur laughs, taking a piece of chicken and handing it to Mala before taking one of his own. We spread to food around and the mead and spend another half an hour laughing and talking. These talks with those I had grown so close with, laughing and reminiscing, reinforcing my actions, had really helped me come to terms with what I was forced to do. I know my father wouldn't have thought twice about it, and each day I wish he were still here. I can take solace in the face that I think I am doing him proud. As we eat and talk, Astrid was no further away from me than she had to be, with our hips and legs touching for a good portion of the food as we talked. More than once, her hand found mine in between eating and lingered as she'd rest her head against my shoulder. Among close friends and allies, we had started becoming more open about our affection, something I hope would only grow.


	57. Mysteries of Mystery

Astrid and I left Berserker Island a little after noon, as the trip there wasn't that long from Berk at a straight ride and the morning tasks didn't take too long. Dagur, Mala and Heather sent us off with a hearty feast and memorable conversations that were largely at either my own, or Heather's, discomfort. Dagur never directly joked about Astrid, and a part of me thinks that has something to do with when he first came to the Edge and met Shattermaster. Astrid made it no secret she was ready to hurt or, Thor forbid, kill Dagur had he crossed a line; and Dagur had learned that when angered, she could certainly back up her threats. That said, neither of them would ever claim any sort of dislike towards the other and we were all great allies now.

We started our flight to the west, heading towards Mystery which was a little under half an hour away from Berserker. The frosty mist closer to sea level and cloudy overhead made seeing the island a challenge until we were nearly over top of it. The flight was certainly cold, and we could tell winter was upon us and it would be one of the colder ones we've experienced. Remembering the time of the Great Freeze when a literal ice plate formed on the sea and allowed the Speed Stingers access to Berk, I could only hope we wouldn't need to deal with that.

There was something else, something enticing about looking over Mystery with just Astrid and I. We had scouted the island before, but never saw signs of dragons there, let alone people. We never landed there or thoroughly scouted the island, as it seemed a pristine wilderness that was mostly untouched. That said, going there with Astrid, as we are now just made me happier. I didn't care if we found anything, or if we did. It was going there together, for no other reason than to explore its mysteries together before the storm shuts us in for weeks. A brief respite from the duties as a Chief and General, as Riders. Where we could just be two people, in love, and doing something together. My eyes must've lingered on Astrid a tad longer than they needed too as I notice her smile as we close in on Mystery.

"Whacha thinking about?" Astrid asks, pulling back Stormfly so she is gliding alongside Toothless.

"No, Nothing. Just that I'm glad to be out here with you." I admit and she smiles.

"Me too, and it looks like we're here. I can't believe we've never set foot on this island before." Astrid adds and I nod along.

"It's just cliffs that go up hundreds of feet, the interior is dense foliage and several lakes, but it seems like it's uninhabited by anything we know. We never found anything when we scouted it before going to the Edge." I recount.

"I remember, those were different days. I am sad to say that I think all of the riders, including myself, gave up on it way too soon. I never did apologize for that, did I?" Astrid asks as I glance to her with a confused look.

"Apologized for what?" I ask as she sighs, our low flight circling the island giving us a moment before we descend.

"Joining the Berk Guard without telling you. At the time, I just.. I didn't know how too. I wanted you to come with me but didn't know how to say it. I'm glad we went to the Edge, and that you never gave up even when we had." Astrid admits and I smile, shaking my head.

"No, it's fine. I understand. I was grasping at the stars, trying so hard to avoid any responsibility my dad wanted to try to give me, any excuse to be out flying on Toothless. I'm surprised you have put up with me as long as you have." I retort as she just laughs.

"I don't put up with you, Hiccup. I enjoy your company, more so than anyone really. I could be happy on a small island with just you and I with our dragons, to be honest." Astrid suggests as I shrug with a smile.

"Me too, though that might get a bit boring after a while, don't ya think?" I ask and she shakes her head.

"I'm sure you and I can find ways to occupy each other on secluded islands." Astrid teases and I grin, nodding along with a smile.

"You mean, like the one below us?" I suggest and she just shrugs, nodding before a teasing smile creases her lips as she starts diving down towards the Island. I laugh to myself as Toothless coos to me and I nod. "I know, bud. She is something else entirely, and I love it." I say to him and he grunts in acknowledgement as we follow her dive.

We swoop down low together and glide just above the treeline slowly, taking in the sights. What was hard to notice until we were this close was the light mist that filled the crevasse that was the island itself. The cliffs formed a sort of ridge and there were equally treacherous cliffs that lead inside to the inland of the island. Scaling them without major tools would be impossible, and there seemed to be no way for a boat to even get close enough to jump to the cliff side. The mist sort of encompassed the entirety of the area and as we got closer to the treeline and the ground the mist made seeing up above it hazy.

There was an opening in the foliage with a large, crystal clear lake that had several streams running off in varying directions, in the center of the island. The water was so clear that on our initial pass, I could almost see the bottom clearly against the light of day, and I could only imagine what a real ray of sunlight would show me.

The ground around the lake was covered with a light layer of what looked like dew or snow, though there was no snowfall yet and the air was cold. When we landed, I could see the steam rising from the water in the lake, counteracting the cold around us. The trees and brush was wet and well nourished, as each and every tree was easily twenty to thirty feet tall with large connecting branches that made a inward canopy.

"This play… is beautiful." Astrid says softly as she dismounts Stormfly and walks over to me as I dismount Toothless.

"It really is, and this lake and water, it seems warm as if its heated from beneath the surface." I add and she nods.

"Do you think there are grimora's here, I don't want to risk having that happen again with no easy access to the sea water." Astrid says and I nod.

"I don't, but we should test first before we risk taking a dip." I suggest, moving to my satchel and pulling out the dragon tracking kit I had used to track down the Buffalord and since refined. I hadn't had much use for it since the war with the hunters.

"Before we try anything, let's check out the rest of the area. This place, while beautiful, is eerily quiet. It's almost unsettling." Astrid remarks and I nod. I hadn't even noticed it at first, but the entire area is pristine yet quiet. It could simply be nothing lives here, and this small system developed by itself or it could well house hidden inhabitants.

"Good idea, let's keep our guard up, just in case." I add, moving closer to Astrid after grabbing and slinging my shield on my back. I grip her hand and she looks at me just in time to smile as I pull her in for a long drawn, lingering kiss. Our bodies stay close and our lips linger together as our eyes close amid the silent, beautiful paradise. Parting ways, I smile, and we begin our walk around the island, together, hand in hand, with our dragons close in tow.

*********************************

As we begin exploring the island, something about the level of quietness was unnerving me. There wasn't anything from a bird to a dragon to a bug. I wasn't as good a tracker as Gobber was, but I was still versed in tracking and I couldn't find any sort of prints or markings of any kind that suggested inhabitants. The foliage was beautiful and layered with a dew that was untended, the tree canopy was strong and there were no marks that any sort of tool had ever been used. The island was massive, and we were moving relatively slowly.

There was also where the stream and lake got their heat from. Following one of the streams that headed north, there was an ever-slight decline we were on from the main lake. The water was crystal clear even here which seemed to imply that nothing lived within it at all. Hiccup and I pause, kneeling down to the stream together, I take my hand and reach towards the stream as Hiccup reaches out and stops me.

"Just in case, call me paranoid." Hiccup says softly and undoes his leg attachment and dips the metal attachment inside the stream. He lets it linger for a moment before pulling it out as I nod along, smiling. He didn't want me to be hurt, and while I was more than capable of caring for myself, his efforts were far from unnoticed or unappreciated. As he lifts his attachment back out, he feels it with his hand and nods. "It's warm, not hot though." He says and I nod.

"Good." I say softly, reaching my hand into the stream. It indeed was comfortably warm and there was a current I could feel. It wasn't strong by any means, and while the water was crystal clear, the few leaves from the trees that floated on its surface followed the current. "Comfortably warm." I reaffirm softly and blink twice. Something about this place made me feel like whispering or speaking softly, like I inherently didn't want to disturb the serene, beautiful area.

Hiccup had reattached his leg and we continued on, following the stream for several hundred feet before seeing the base of the cliff-line. There and from this angle, we could actually see openings at the base of the cliffside that appeared to be caves of some sort. I'm reminded of the cave entrance inside the crater of the volcano at the Defenders of the Wing Island.

"Hiccup, should we explore the caves?" I ask softly, pointing them out as he shakes his head, turning away from them.

"Not yet. Let's check out the rest of the surface first. The quiet is starting to unsettle me too, but I may just be accustomed to the sounds of a village." Hiccup admits softly as I nod, smiling.

"Still glad to be here?" I ask teasingly and he nods.

"Undoubtedly. Whatever secrets this island holds, there is no one I'd rather discover them with." Hiccup answers, his hand finding mind and pulling me closer.

"What if it's… dangerous." I add, leaning into him as we walk, looking up and over to him as he smiles.

"We're two of the most capable fighters on Berk, with experience and a reason to fight. Plus, Stormfly and Toothless, I trust our odds." Hiccup states, his arm slinking around my waist as we walk slowly back down the stream towards the lake. We were going to check out another one of the streams when we got up there. Though the eerie silence unnerved me, I didn't feel like I was in danger.

When we got back to the lake, I glanced into the water again and tried to see how deep I could see. In that moment, I felt a chill down my spine as I swear, I felt like there was a pair of eyes beneath the surface of the water staring back at me. The eyes followed mine and seemed to make direct eye contact with me. I could see a similar gaze as I would from a dragon, and it didn't seem aggressive. It almost made me freeze in my walk, and I did stop Hiccup as I blinked. Though when I did, the sight was gone.

"What is it?" Hiccup asks as he turns his gaze to me, with us standing a few feet from the lip of the lake.

"There was, I think I saw something beneath the water. It seemed like a pair of eyes staring back at me as we walked. When I blinked, they were gone." I explain as his expression becomes readily more serious.

"Did it look predatory?" Hiccup asks and I shake my head.

"I-I don't know. I only saw it for a moment. I want to say no. More like, curious. Dragon-like." I add and he nods, tugging me closer as we back away from the lake.

"I think we are being observed and that this island is not truly empty. Let's make our presence as friendly as possible and let whatever it was show itself when it's ready. Toothless, keep an eye out." Hiccup says, glancing back towards our dragons. Toothless perks his ears and coos to Hiccup as we continue walking. Since resuming our walk, I hadn't even noticed it immediately, but Hiccup had switched spots with me, placing him closer to the lake than I was. The gesture was sweet, even if unnecessary.

"Do you think it's a dragon, or was I seeing something." I ask unsure, I never saw a body and the water was still clear. Hiccup shrugs and takes a deep breath.

"I mean, I'd like to believe we still have new dragons to discover. Not hard to believe a dragon could become invisible under the water, like a changewing. I've felt like we were being watched since we saw the cave. I don't really feel like we're in danger, but I am a bit unnerved." Hiccup explains as we walk. He glances to me with a smile before adding, "So, no, I don't think you were just seeing something." Hiccup adds as we reach the southern stream and start following it on a slight incline.

As we walk, I started noticing that the streams themselves were almost perfectly carved with almost no rough ridges under the water. It was very reminiscent of a tube or cut, as if it were formed by something else. As I gaze at the stream, a flash of those eyes crosses my mind as I blink, and it forces me to shiver. I didn't feel in danger, perse, but I did feel unnerved. Hiccup noticed it and pulled me closer as we continued our walk. The island remained incredibly silent as we moved, with the only sounds I heard being from us or our dragons as they walked with us.

"That feeling of being watched is getting more intense, just look at Toothless and Stormfly." Hiccup says softly as we glance back towards our dragons. They were walking cautiously, perked and attentive. Stormfly had fanned a little out towards the treeline and was constantly rotating her head, looking at everything. Toothless, on the other hand, was walking with increased trepidation towards the stream itself.

"Have you noticed the way the stream seems to be cut?" I ask, pointing towards it. "Almost like a giant snake." I suggest and he winces lightly.

"Yeah, I had thought of that. Slitherwings don't live in the water and would've attacked by now, and even the Titan-Wing Slitherwings don't get as big as this stream seams to be cut. Honestly, Astrid, I think we're dealing with something brand new." Hiccup admits as I nudge him gently and smile.

"Hey, we'll be fine. We're together. Whatever this is, everything will work out. The Dragon Eye would've been helpful, maybe, though." I add as he nods.

"I had considered rebuilding the Dragon Eye Two a couple times but didn't want too while Krogan was still out there. With him gone, and anyone who may know what the Dragon Eye is scattered, I might. Maybe when the trappers are dealt with." Hiccup says as I nod, placing a hand on his chest and laughing lightly.

"Destroying them was the right thing, we couldn't risk anyone else getting that knowledge to hurt dragons. We only barely averted a dragon holocaust." I reaffirm for him. "When they are gone, rebuilding it may well be in order. For now, though, let's just take whatever this Island gives us." I add softly, not fighting the urge to speak softly. He smiles and stops us, pulling me in for another long, lingering kiss before parting with the smile still creasing his face.

"There's no one I'd rather face such a mystery with. And whatever is observing us, hopefully it can tell our intentions are kind and it will show itself." Hiccup whispers, brushing his lips to mine before fully parting and continuing.

Whatever we stumbled on, we weren't going to run away from it, we wouldn't balk at the mystery. Together, Hiccup and I could accomplish anything, face any adversity and conquer any adversary. We've trained dragons together, beaten back countless hunters and saved countless more dragons together. We've protected Berk, the Edge, The Defenders and Wingmaidens, Berserker Island and Outcast Island. We've bested the very best evils that the Archipelago had to offer from Ryker to Krogan to Drago; from the Red Death, to the Screaming Death. There was nothing we couldn't do together, nothing we couldn't face. The mysteries of this island would just be another in the long line of things that we had solved, together.


	58. Veiled Tarn

I am not sure what I expected from the Island dubbed Mystery by all those who inhabit the Archipelago. It's name is so earned because, before dragons, no one could set foot on it so what lay within its borders was truly a mystery. Maybe, in my own sometimes one-track mind, I had hoped for a serene paradise that Hiccup and I could claim as a personal retreat where we could further explore and enjoy each other. That feeling had all but vanished since hearing the eerie silence of this island and seeing those eyes that watched me. Now it felt as though anything we did would be under the observation of something we did not know or understand and I for one was not ready to put myself in such a vulnerable position in an unknown environment.

"There go the hopes this would be a getaway." I mutter as we walk, not hiding my disappointment in the unease I feel, nor the desire I had been holding onto. For some reason, the image of us in the dragon pens continues to flash in my mind and makes my suit feel tight.

"Yeah, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable even taking off my suit here at the moment. Not with this feeling." Hiccup responds softly, his arm still wrapped around my waist as we walk slowly together, following the stream up. I nod along, sightly lightly as he stops and turns to look at me. Cupping my chin, he kisses me softly before adding. "Besides that, I'd rather we feel safe so I could enjoy your presence without a single other thought in my mind. When the storm hits and we button down in Berk, we'll have days of uninterrupted time." He says, cooing slightly and kissing me again as I smile and nod.

"That… sounds good to me. I almost want to just leave this place and go get started on that now." I whisper as he smiles and then I shrug with a teasing grin. "But, those eyes could be a whole new dragon. What could be more important?" I taunt him, purposefully drawing on his love of discovery and dragons to see what he says. Unbeknownst to him, he can't actually answer that question wrong.

He pulls me back away from the stream and turns me so my back is now against a tree before pressing his lips to mine passionately as I literally melt into his arms. My own arms find their way around his neck and help stabilize me as our tongues meet and begin their dance, and for that brief moment, I forget where we are and lose myself in the kiss. I feel my own hips start to grind as he presses his body to mine before pulling back, my lips instinctively chasing his before they part and I frown.

"Nothing is more important than you. Toothless knows he is my best bud, and dragons are a close, a very close second, I'll be honest. But I will leave this island right now if you want." He answers softly against my lips and I bite my lower lip into a smile before shaking my head.

"That won't be necessary, but you got a ten out of ten on that answer." I answer and he smiles, stepping back and glancing around. His face suddenly contorts and his brow furrows as he looks around, and I see it too. The mist that had been above the tree line was lower and thicker. We hadn't even noticed it during our kiss, but it was definitely thicker.

"The mist." I mutter and he nods as we stand closer together.

"Do you feel that? Almost like it's alive." Hiccup says quietly as his arm waves lightly in front of me. I can see his dragon blade in one of his hands as we look around. We certainly are not alone now. Something is here, something veiled in the mist. As I look around, the trees more than ten feet away seem harder to see, and I can barely see Stormfly or Toothless.

"Stormfly, here." I say softly, bringing Stormfly to my side as Hiccup beckons Toothless to his so we are flanked by either dragon.

My eyes trace to the stream and I see what looks wisps moving in a small, cloistered area. Pointing to it so Hiccup's eyes see what I see, my eyes find the same pair of eyes that had met mine in the lake. They didn't seem dangerous, perse, but they stood taller than either of us. Now, our dragons saw it as well and both coiled around us defensively. Hiccup sees it as well and it's almost heartwarming that he steps lightly to the side, so he is partially in front of me.

"We mean you no harm." Hiccup calls out as he places his hand on Toothless. "We are friends to dragons, and to our fellows. Show yourself?" He adds as my hand finds his.

There is a sudden gust of wind and the mist seems to dissipate around us but as it does, the eyes are gone within it. Whatever is watching us is using the mist to hide and may even be able to create it, like the mist of the Flightmare. As the mist clears, we move closer to the stream and see nothing inside its waters, just the same clear water following a light current.

"We couldn't be hallucinating, could we?" Hiccup mutters as I shake my head.

"No, we both saw it, and our dragons. We felt it. Something is here. The question is do we stay and find out what, or leave before we overstay our welcome?" I ask Hiccup who shrugs with a light smile.

"I'm a bit on the fence about that. As unnerved as I am, I don't feel threatened yet. I can't tell if that was a warning or a declaration. Get out or I see you." Hiccup answers softly, looking to me as he holsters his blade. "What do you want to do?" He asks as I smile.

"I want to figure out what this is, with you. With everything we've battled against and won together, whatever this is, even if it's a threat… we'll figure it out, together." I explain as he smiles and pulls me in for another light kiss.

"Beautifully spoken, as always. Come on, let's follow this thing. I think it probably went back to the lake as that's where you first spotted it." Hiccup answers, taking my hand and leading us down as I smile and go with him.

Together we head down to the lake, our dragons on high alert as we continue down the stream and follow it to its destination. The mist around the lake was stronger than before but not as strong as it was mere moments ago. There was also evidence of snowfall from above, light and calm but the snowflakes still lingered down in an increasing fashion as we traveled back to the lake.

"Were we off on the storm? It couldn't have swept on us that quickly." Hiccup mutters as we near the lake.

"No, we weren't. We've been calling storms for years, that one was certainly two days away from Berk and we haven't even been gone a full day yet. Not unless there was another front we never noticed, but that seems off too." I explain and he nods.

"We shouldn't linger much longer, we can't afford to be snowed in here with no cover, food or protection." Hiccup adds.

"I agree, the mystery of this is being outpaced by the potential risk." I confirm and he nods.

Together, we approach the lake with our dragons in tow. Now walking up to the side of the lake near where I first saw the set of eyes. We gaze into the water for an extended moment and I think I can see movement inside the water, but it could easily be a trick of the mist or simply the current moving loose dirt or grass in a flow. I don't see any eyes, at least, not at first. All of that changed in but a moment, when both Hiccup and I see not one, but two sets of eyes from beneath the surface of the water that do not hide in a guise.

Slowly, we see a translucent body begin to take shape beneath the surface. It was like a long, pale blue snake. Much like the slither wing in body style though the body seemed much longer as we started seeing it. There were two of them as well, with longer whisker like things on their snouts and short, wavy fins that followed its spine. They were just smaller than the channels of the streams and were likely what cut them. They were awe inspiring, and as I glance at Hiccup, he too was mesmerized as I feel his grip tighten around mine.

*********************************

This was not what I was expecting when Astrid and I decided to visit Mystery, though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised there was a sort of dragon here. The shape of their body was long, and eel or snake like with what seemed to be long folded wings that hugged their body. They used their wavy bodies to move effortlessly in the water and circled each other. Every time they came for a pass, their eyes locked with ours as we watched.

Moments later, they rose out of the water together, their bodies circling together as if supporting each other as they stand nearly ten feet above the surface of the water. They were large, and when out of the water, their wings that were collapsed on their sides and hugging the skin were much more visible. The long whisker-like extensions from their snout dropped down and we could see obvious predatory teeth. Though, they were not baring them, nor acting aggressively as we watched them.

Glancing at Astrid, I see her eyes shift between them and me and following my gut, I wrap my arm around her as she does the same almost reactively. Our dragons had moved closer around us, their tails nearly linking behind us as they faced the pair of eel-like dragons that now stood elevated before us.

"Go with me on this." I whisper to Astrid as I tighten my grip around her side.

"Always." She answers and I smile. That had become a thing between us ever since it was her and I against Krogan's Flyers when we chased them from Vanaheim.

"We are friends to dragons." I say slowly to the dragons, my free hand finding Toothless and motioning him to move closer. "We are not a threat." I add as the pair only watches us. Their bodies contract and one of them moves its head lower to us as I can see the long body of the other tighten to help steady it. It's head now mere feet away from us as I can feel its breath against us.

"What's it doing?" Astrid asks softly beside me.

"I think it's checking us out. Notice how their bodies are intwined. These may well be an isolated, mated pair that have never seen another person or dragon." I explain my observations as she nods along.

"Hopefully they don't think we're food." She adds softly as I smile. I take her free arm with mine and spin once with her in between our dragons before ending up back where we were and then hold her hand, keeping my other around her waist and look to the dragons watching us. Their heads turn to the side and then they look to each other and rotate together, their intwined bodies adding another layer to the circuit before they turn back to us.

"I think we're communicating." I say softly as I turn and glance at Astrid who has a smile on her face.

"I'll never understand how you can figure this stuff out." She answers and I just shrug and smile.

"It's a gift." I retort and she laughs lightly.

"One of many." She answers teasingly and glances up at the dragons before turning back to me. Using our hands, she rotates us around again and then pecks me lightly on the lips before turning to look at the dragons. "If they understand affection, let's see what they do." She adds softly and I nod, smiling.

The dragons do not disappoint as they rotate in sync with us. One of them, one that is slightly lighter in coloration, nuzzles up to the other and rubs under its chin before rubbing the sides of their faces together. After a moment, they pause and turn back to us. Looking to us both, they bring their heads down and each are now about three feet away. Close enough for us to get a much better look at them.

Their scales are pale blue and seem to have a flickering effect, like they reflect under the sunlight. The long whiskers seem to be like feelers and are easily two feet long with snoutlike mouths; not unlike a changewing. Their eyes and narrow like almost like Toothless's when he is aggressive. The wavy fins on their backs seem to be pliable. They do have large teeth that are more numerous than a changewings, but also not as pin-pointed. I take my hand and place it in front of Toothless's nose and let him close the gap as he closes his eyes and coos while they watch. Then, I take my hand from Toothless and extend it towards them.

"Be careful." Astrid whispers besides me. This little trick almost always seemed to unnerve her as it requires a high degree of trust. She used it a couple times herself, and I felt the same level of brief unease in that initial extension. Especially towards the Triple Strike which had proven extra hostile.

Fortunately for the both of us, this was just as it had been in prior times. After a few moments, one of them seemed to sniff my hand before following suit to Toothless and pressing its snout against my palm. I release a breath I wasn't aware I was holding as it parts from my hand and both dragons dive back into the water. The moment they do, they seem to vanish beneath the water and at the same time, the mist surrounding the lake seems to lessen considerably.

"So maybe the mist was them?" I mutter as they vanish and smile towards Astrid.

"They were beautiful. A defense mechanism, maybe? They didn't seem hostile at all." Astrid responds softly, stepping closer to me as I nod.

"Beautiful, certainly." I say, brushing her hair from her face and kissing her lightly on the lips in a brief connection. "They were gentle, giant eel-like dragons. What should we call them?" I ask quietly as we return our gaze to the lake. There is a brief silence as we both think before Astrid rests her head on my shoulder and sighs.

"Veilwing? They had large, folded wings too and they were veiled in the mist and water." Astrid suggests and I nod along lightly.

"Works for me. And on that note…" I begin, pausing and pointing up as the snowflakes start to increase their falling. "We better return to Berk before it gets too bad." I suggest and she sighs.

"I know, I almost hate to leave now. We just introduced ourselves…" She says softly, her hand finding a hook and hanging on my chest. I couldn't see if she had closed her eyes, but I think she did briefly.

"We can come back after the storm, just us. Maybe we'll see more of them, then." I suggest and she pulls away from me in a smile and nods.

"Sounds like the beginning to a perfect vacation to me." She adds, leaning up and kissing me.

We decide to take our queue there and mount our respective dragons and take off. As we rise higher, the mist below seems to thicken and obscure much of the foliage and as we look out to the horizon, it is blackened by the storm clouds. It seems that the storm was moving faster than anticipated and would likely hit Berk in full force tomorrow. We decided to take a detour back and return to Berserker Island to warn Dagur and Heather about the increased pace of the storm before returning to Berk. This time, we did not dally there longer than needed and we soon found ourselves back on Berk where the winds and the cold were starting to pick up fiercely.

Together, we made rounds to the people, checking in on everyone as they battened down their houses and ensured everyone had the supplies needed. Following that, we closed off the Great Hall and secured the Dragon Stables and Academy. We checked in with the riders and made sure they were safe. We'd still need to periodically patrol during a lull in the storm, but Astrid and I offered to do that. Gobber was closing down the Forge and locking it up, it was where he'd stay during this as it sometimes doubled as a home and he had his own bed in the main part of the forge. He swears up and down he never once has or will ever open my smaller room in the Forge, which is all the better.

Once all of those tasks were completed, Astrid and I returned with our dragons to our house and buttoned it up. I closed the sky roof that the dragons used so often, and Astrid closed off all of the windows and sealed the door behind us. Our Dragons found their perches in the house as Toothless lit the firepit from his spot and within moments, our house was warming up. By tomorrow morning, we'd be littered with snow and possibly unable to leave. The winds were picking up and the danger on the sea was increasing. The first major winter storm since I became Chief, and the first one I'd spend alone with Astrid. Well, relatively alone, anyways. Snoggletog was just around the corner, and I honestly couldn't wait to celebrate that weirdly named Holiday with her either.


	59. Perfervid Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

The night quickly became chilled to the bone as the snow started settling in. Glancing outside, the snow had begun falling heavily shortly after dusk and was almost a completely white out. It felt as bad as it had during the Big Freeze when the Speed Stingers visited Berk those years ago. Hopefully this year we wouldn't have to worry about any of that, because even if they did show up, we wouldn't have anywhere to move too. The temperature was colder than that of the King of Dragon's iceborn lair, and the snow was sticking to the ground. Already, it looked as though half a foot had accumulated on the ground and it would only get worse. Before too long, Berk would be completely snowed in.

Astrid and I were fortunate in staying together because I had the sky door built into my ceiling for Toothless years ago and since then, even if the snow had completely blocked the front door, we could still get out. With the slant on our roofs, there would be no accumulation of serious merit on the roof, it would all fall to the ground below and still let us leave to patrol when the snow let up tomorrow morning. For now, though, all there was to do was to button down, bundle up and sit by a warm fire with our reserve of drink and food. My only worry was that my mother and Eret were out there around Hysteria right now, but both of them were survivors and had their dragons. I'll let worry fester if we don't hear back from them after the storm passes.

For now, Astrid and I had finished our dinner, though it was light as to preserve what we had in the house. Something we didn't need to preserve was mead, as Vikings we ended up having an excess in quantity of our customary drink that even when the entire village was feasting together, mead was one of the few things we never ran out of. Our dragons had both long since eaten their fish-filled dinner and found their places in the house. Astrid and I had found our way to our chair in front of the fire pit where we sat bundled together under a large wool blanket with Astrid sitting partially on my lap and her head resting against my chest. My hands wrapped around her waist under the blanket and her own hands resting on mine as we just stared at the fire pit together.

Thinking past the freeze we were currently contending with; my mind constantly went back to our ever-brief interaction with what we were calling the Veilwing. It looked like a mythic or regal version of the Slitherwing and was completely non-aggressive. It acted amused or curious at our presence, and I had wished the snowfall hadn't caught us off guard so that we could've stayed there longer. It appears there were only two, and that they lived alone inside of that lake but with the way they hid beneath the water, there could've been more. The peppered caves we saw looked like they could each have led to catacombs within the island that housed those magnificent dragons.

"What're you thinking about?" Astrid's soft voice breaks my train of though as I glance down and notice her gazing partially up at me from her resting place, her hand squeezing mine as she smiles in my embrace.

"Uh, nothing. I mean, a lot." I mutter with a light shrug. "My mom and Eret are out there right now. This freeze is looking to be worse than the one that led the stingers here. And then there's this Veilwing we found and how I wish you and I could've stayed longer. Just a lot more on my mind than I expected. I'm coming to terms about Krogan, though." I add, and I was. I had grown to accept over the past day or so that it had to be done and it was either me or him. I had too much good to live for to let his evil be the end of me. A large part of me wondered what made a man like him, what drives him and how one can completely disregard morality or ethics.

"Your mom and Eret are both survivors with two powerful dragons and a fully stocked boat. They'll be fine, I have no doubt. After the snowstorm, we can fly their path just to be sure though." Astrid suggests and I nod along. "And I'm glad you're coming to terms with Krogan. You did the right thing." Astrid reaffirms as her right hand leaves its place cupping mine and reaches up to my cheek, pressing against it softly as she smiles.

"Thank you, I've no shame in saying I draw a lot of my strength from you." I admit softly, taking my left hand up and cupping hers as it rests on my cheek. Bringing it down, I kiss her hand softly as I then lean down and kiss her forehead before resting my head lightly on hers. I can feel her breath as her fingers tighten around my own hand and I allow my eyes to lightly shut.

"I draw my courage from you. We make quite the team." She says as I nod. "Hey." She whispers as I open my eyes, smiling and looking at her as I see her warm gaze staring back at me. I lean in as she leans up and our lips connect softly in a tender, lingering kiss. My hand breaks from hers and finds her cheek as I stabilize our lips as they press together. My other hand still wrapped across her waist with hers on top of it. As our lips lightly party, I feel her teeth gently tug at my lower lip before our eyes meet again.

"I love you." I whisper against her lips as she smiles and exhales, I feel her warm breath against mine. I gently move my right hand across her waist and trail it upwards, sliding my bare hand underneath her chest wrap as she gasps slightly.

"Mm. I love you too." She answers softly, closing her eyes as my hand is now cupping and massaging her breast, moving between each one as she leans her head back against my shoulder. I slide my left hand down from her cheek and run it slowly down her body underneath the blanket to her waist and let it linger around her lower undergarments. I feel her breath hitch as I stop. "Keep going." She whispers, barely above the sound of a breath.

Smiling, I shift our positions just enough so she is fully sitting on my lap beneath the blanket, her head resting back against my shoulder but providing me enough room so that I can kiss her neck. My right hand still massaging her breasts and nipples, I can feel the muscles in her breasts tighten as her nipples become sensitive and erect to my touch. My left hand does as she desires and slips underneath her garments and in between her legs where I slide a single finger through the slit between her lower lips and feel the wetness already present beneath.

"You're already ready." I whisper against her neck as she laughs lightly amid a moan.

"I'm always ready for you." She responds lightly as I smile, kissing her neck again before biting it and letting one of my fingers slide inside her slit. When my finger makes contact with her most sensitive area and slips inside, she lets loose an aching, low moan as her left hand clings my shoulder, helping put more pressure against our bodies. I can feel my own member harden as its pressed against her rear, though confined within my own undergarments.

I slide my finger in and out, letting it explore within her before sliding a second to follow and apply more pressure within. I feel her muscles tighten around my fingers as I continue my massaging of her nipples and breasts, my lips and teeth tracing her neck. I am starting to notice lingering marks from where I have bitten her and sucked and licked her neck, fortunately they were all below the neckline of most clothing she wears. As my fingers increase their movement, I feel her hips grind against my hand as she moans as gasps softly, her left hand finding my face and turning me to her as she leans up, kissing me passionately. I could feel her breathlessness already and it enticed me even more. When our lips part, my fingers still moving, she cups my cheek and smiles her passionate, lustful smile.

"I want you." She whispers and kisses me again. This was the side of Astrid that was mine and mine alone, as this was the side of me that was for her and only her.

"You'll always have me, however you want me." I whisper back and slide my fingers back in and listen to her sounds of pleasure. She would always have me, no matter what befell us, I would never leave her. What I had with Astrid was more than a friendship or a simple romance, it was a true feeling of love and acceptance, of true appreciation in each other. I wanted to make her happy and making her happy made me happy. Whether that was happy under a bedsheet or happy at a dinner or in battle, I would always have her side and support her, as she would me. With her in these moments, it was only her and I; not my future as Chief with her as my Chieftess, what would become of the summit or the trappers. Not the death of my father, the struggles of Krogan and Drago or Viggo and Johann. It was simply us.

*********************************

It was another one of those moments that I longed to experience. The moment when I could lose myself in the throes of passion I felt for Hiccup. The love I had grown and developed for him was more than a simple thing; it was a true heartful and soul bound feeling that I shared with him. Where he fed on my strength of will in order to find his inner resolve and stand true, I would feed of his courage to do things I hadn't thought possible. Together we learned from each other, through our failures and our successes.

Being with him, being in his arms was more than just a physical attraction. When I was alone with him in this way, I could forget the world, I could forget the challenges that would face us in the days to come. Forget the pain that had riddled our past that led us here. In these moments, the only thing I would think about was how he made me feel, and how I wanted to make him feel. How he made my body ache with a burning desire to feel his touch, to feel his lips against my bare skin or his hands as they explored my body. How I wanted to hear his gasps, the hitches in his breath with I did the same. My own lips exploring his body, our tongues dancing and entangling, our fingers interlocking. The sweat of our bodies making us slick and slide across each other next to the growing heat of the fire pit. Running my hands through his hair as I let my own be unbraided, letting it wave as we rocked together. I could absolutely lose myself in moments like these. It was all of that and more, it was honestly beyond what words could describe.

"Mmph." A moan escapes my lips against his as his fingers had fully begun exploring within me. Feeling him within me as he massaged my nipples made my back arch and eyes roll back. I wasn't sure if I was still kissing him at that moment, but when I felt his teeth tug at my lips I gasps as my hips lurched against his hand and I feel a swift eruption between my legs as my body shakes in his arms. A shuddered moan lingers out of my mouth as he brings his fingers up from within me and goes to lick them clean. I stop him with my hand, and bring his fingers to my lips, wrapping my lips around them and tasting his accomplishment. Controlling his hand as he watches, I slide his fingers out of my mouth and pull him in to kiss me, our tongues quickly finding each other as I rolled over in his lap, now straddling him next to the fire as the blanket slides off my back and down onto his legs.

Pressing both of my hands against his chest, I sit back against him and grind my slick area against his, even through our undergarments, we could feel each other. I could feel his member throb beneath the pressure I was exerting, and he could feel the slick residue of my eruption. Reaching up, I unclip a couple bands and remove my headband, letting my hair fully down before sliding my chest garments up and over my head, revealing my bare chest to him as he leans back in the chair, his hands finding my hips and resting there.

In these moments, words were important but unnecessary, we communicated to each other through our actions, and we both had come to read each other so accurately from our years as partners in the sky before our relationship. We hid nothing from each other, we never lied or pretended, we never had too. I've never felt freer with anyone than I do with Hiccup, who loved me for who I was, not for what I could offer them. Even when I thought I would be crippled due to my eyesight being taken from me, he refused to leave my side.

His fingers latched on my own undergarments and together, we slide them down my body before I re-straddled him. The only one clothed now was Hiccup and his lower garments, he had lost his chest garments before we settled in the blanket. Though we could feel the cold air form the outside leak into the house, the heat from the fire and our own bodies removed any thought of the cold. He tried to undo his undergarments as I stopped him, smiling and sliding down his legs and off of the chair, the blanket falling behind me as I rest on my knees in front of him.

Sliding his undergarments off, I lean up and wrap my fingers around his member as he gasps and leans his head back, moaning my name softly as I wrap my lips around his member. He needn't ask for me to do this, I enjoyed making him feel this way as he did me. Circling the base of his member with my fingers, I slide them up and down as my lips and tongue slather the top before fully taking it in my mouth and bobbing my head with my own fingers movement. His moans and grunts keeping me going, as I genuinely liked hearing the sounds of pleasure that I could make him make.

I felt his member throb within my grip as he tries to warn me his is about to erupt, I wasn't listening as I felt him release within my mouth. I didn't stop and kept my head and fingers moving as I felt him throb and pulse in my grip, swallowing it all. When he finally stopped, I could still feel how hard he was as I removed my lips and glanced up to him with a small smile, biting my lower lip as I wiped them.

"Now we're even." I whisper, climbing back up on his lap and pressing myself against his member as he moans against the pressure. "Still sensitive?" I ask teasing as I glide a finger across his chest.

"I'll show you." He answers, his right hand gripping my shoulder and pulling me down as he passionately presses his lips to mine. He didn't care, we were lost in the passion of it all as we had grown to explore and taste one another in a true form of expression and acceptance. His left hand found my hips amid the distracting kiss and I felt his hips lurch beneath me as he slides his member inside of me, guiding my hips down on him as I moan loudly against his lips. The distance between our hips gone as I arch my back, feeling the full length and girth of him throb within me as I start to grind, pressing my hands to his chest again. He keeps his hands where they were as I ride him, each movement forward and back, up and down elicits a moan or grunt from the both of us.

Throwing my head forward, my hair extends down and engulfs his head, so that from my face I can see his gazing up at me as he continues rocking his hips. Both of us breathlessly moving our bodies amid synchronized sounds of pleasure. Leaning down, I cry out in pleasure as I feel him thrust up, reaching his member just an inch deeper than it had been and pressing my lips against his, running my tongue against his lips until his tongue came out to meet mine. We each tasted the other, tasted each other as our tongues danced and our moans left one mouth to enter the other. Our lips part as I bite my lip and shudder, feeling myself begin to shake as I erupt again from his passion driven thrusts. My muscles and hips tighten around his member as my hands grips his shoulders and I lean in, grinding hard against his hips.

"Astrid. I'm going to, I'm-I'm about to.." He stutters as his pace increases more and I moan against his lips as I bite his lower lip, quickly tugging at it as I pull back, looking into his beautiful green eyes.

"Do it. I-I ready to..Mmph.. Explode" I answer, leaning back and arching it as he gasps and I feel his member throb and erupt within me as I tighten my muscles and explode, my own slick wet mixing with his as our hips continue grinding until both of our bodies are done. The sweat coating our bare bodies as we forget the bone chilling temperature outside amid the passion driven heat we generated ourselves next to the fire. I feel my muscles relax as I lean down and lay on his chest, his hands running lightly up and down my back as we sit in our own passions for a minute.

"Going to be up for another round soon?" He teasingly whispers as I glance up to him and smile, rolling my eyes.

"Babe, I'm always up for another round with you. We've got all night with no interruptions to explore, wanna try anything new?" I ask, running my finger down his chest as he shrugs and smiles.

"Honestly, we could do the very same thing every day and I would never tire of it. I love having you in my arms, no matter the circumstances." He answers in his usually sincere tone before his smile turns sly. "That said, I'm sure we can come up with a few different and new things together tonight. I'll try anything with you." He finishes as I smile.

"I feel the same. Let's relax here for a little bit, then we'll see what else we can do." I answer, reaching down and grabbing the blanket and pulling it back over us as I slide off of his hips entirely and instead lay with one leg over his, the blanket now hooked to my shoulder as I rest my head on his shoulder. I too could spend an eternity just sitting like this in his arms and never want for anything more. What I felt for him, what we felt for each other, seemed almost surreal and beyond what I expected in even my wildest dreams.

Most men and woman dream of finding that one that completes them, that makes them feel confident and strong, wanted and appreciated. That makes them feel as though they are not alone on the world. Many who want that settle for far less than they deserve, whether it be due to a lack of availability or just bad decisions. I was happy to say that, with Hiccup, I found all of that and more.


	60. Midnight Concupiscence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

It was something special to be able to be lost in lust, impassioned by the person you are with instead of staying with them due to some sort of societal pressure. From the beginning, our relationship, even when we were young teenagers still figuring out who we were, was never met with scorn. With that first daring kiss I made in front of the entire village after the Red Death, the random moments of awkward contact and words in the years that followed. From getting snowed in and holding each other for warmth to when Hiccup secretly threw the Thawfest for Snotlout; the brief connections of our lips that followed. Those were little more than small reminders that we would be apart of each other's futures, even though we still didn't know what it meant.

I felt the sweat drip from my brow as the fire burned besides us. We had long lost all of our clothing and the blanket that had been over us now laid beneath us. The chair had been moved to give us more room but was still close as we weren't exactly staying still. His arm reached and hiked my leg over his shoulder as I felt him drive his member deeper inside of me. My eyes traced his body and locked with his eyes, though there were no words that needed to be spoken. Instead what came from our lips were the moans echoing our pleasure and gasps as we feel each other. Our eyes filled with naught but longing for each other. We were both filled with vigor and connected by our feelings for each other, so much so that we had also long forgotten the time, though it was well into the evening.

Each thrust he makes causes a yearning moan to leave my lips and my eyes to roll back as my head falls to the blanket beneath me. We had not stopped in our throes of passion for anything beyond a break when either of our bodies could simply not go any further. The sweat that layered each of us as we lay next to the burning pit that warmed our bodies made them slick and slide smoothly against each other. Every grind of my hips, every push from him was smooth and filling, and again we were nearing the point of climax. I could feel him increase his pace and drive his member as deep as it could go within me, filling me entirely as though our bodies were designed for one another. I hear him grunt as his grip around my thigh that is hiked on his shoulder tightens and his eyes meet mine.

"I'm al-almost there.." He stammers into a moan as I exhale with another one of his thrusts as he picks up the pace again, each and every thrust causing me to sharply inhale and exhale with a moan.

"Mm. Mm. Mm. Hiccup… Hi-Hiccup! Don't. Mm. Stop. Don't Stop. Don't Stop. Mm." I say between sharp breaths as he doesn't, the feeling he was giving me was perfect and with just a little more of that exact feeling, I would be there as well. Together, we could explode. There was something else to be said about that level of passion, about both of our bodies reaching that point together. It was enticing, the feeling was intoxicating, the very scent was alluring. My muscles tighten as I feel the heat between my legs explode, throwing my head back and letting my voice carry as I called out his name again." Mmph. Hiccup!" I exclaim as I feel his own member throb within me and soon, I feel the pressure of him releasing within me as he too calls out.

"Astrid!" He exclaims as he thrusts one final time before grinding his hips to mine, I can feel the pressure building as he lowers my hiked leg and lays on top of me, pressing his lips to mine as I reach up and take in his lips and meet his tongue. Luring it into my mouth, I suck on it briefly before our tongues dance together, and though we are both breathless, we dare not part our lips until our bodies make us. I can feel his hands running through my hair as he leans on his elbows, my own arms locked around his neck and playing with the back of his head and hair as we keep the passionate kiss lingering. As we finally part, we both pant, though our tongues seemed to follow each other before they finally parted as well. I can feel his warm breath tickling my lips as we try to regain our breath.

"You're. Amazing." I say softly between breaths as I pull him back in for another long-impassioned kiss. He doesn't fight it and instead falls into it as we drink in each other's presence, his member still throbbing within me as my hips lightly grind against his as they ache and shake from the recent eruption.

When this kiss finally parts, he drops to his side and I roll over to look at him. I can just get lost gazing into his emerald eyes as we smile. He brings his hand up and brushes some of the loose hair from my face as we lay there, our bodies still partially intwined as my legs hooked around his and our hips were still mostly pressing together. His member had since left me, but I could still feel it as though it were still throbbing inside of me. I blink slowly and my eyes stay closed as I relive what just happened again and I moan softly as I bite my lower lip, picturing him thrusting within me. I hear him softly chuckle next to me as I open my eyes and smile towards him, scrunching closer and pressing my bare chest to his.

"What're you thinking about?" He asks, though I could tell it was somewhat rhetorical. Biting my lip again, I lean in and peck him lightly on the lips before pulling back and smiling.

"Everything that we are now. How we started, how I'm… glad we waited until we were mostly adults… How this." I pause, placing a hand on his cheek and closing my eyes with a smile. "How this is real, not some fallacy." I feel him lean in with my hand as his nose brushes to mine and he rests his forehead to mine.

"It's real, the love I feel for you is real. From then, to now, it has not changed… only grown." He says softly as I feel his breath and I smile.

"I'll never get tired of our pillow talk." I mutter softly, completely at ease in his arms, on the floor in our house, sprawled on a blanket next to a warm fire pit.

"Would you like me to tell you more?" He whispers playfully as I shake my head, my smile never faltering.

"I think I'm…" I pause as my voice trails off and I open my eyes to see his emerald eyes still softly gazing at me with his soft smile. Leaning up and kissing him lightly, I add. "I think I'm ready to fall asleep like this." I whisper and he nods.

"Me too. I love you, Astrid." He whispers as I nod. His arms wrap around me, keeping me close within his arms so that our bodies as a whole were pressed together. The sweat beginning to calm for the most part, though the heat from the fire pit was still strong enough to warm my body. My own arms wrapped around his back and I could feel how warm his back was against the fire, not dangerously so, but he was certainly warm to the touch. The touch. His touch.

"Mm. I love you, Hiccup." I respond softly, my mind still reliving recent vigorous events as I feel his arms around me. Though I felt how tired and sore my body was, I wanted nothing more than to roll on top of him and ride him until dawn. When I woke up again, that be one of the first things on my list of things to do. I felt his hand brush my hair slightly as my eyes were heavily shut. Exhaling a deep breath, I finally drifted off into one of the most relaxing sleep's I may ever have felt, even if it wasn't for that long.

*********************************

There was no denying that Astrid and I had worn our bodies down and drained our vigor, no matter how much more our hearts and mind wanted to continue. At a certain point, there was little more pleasure to be had in lieu of pain, and we were reaching that precipice. The beauty of our relationship is that it wasn't born out of this passion we drink in from each other now, it was born from friendship and trust. Understanding and teamwork. We weren't competing, we weren't arguing, we weren't fighting; everything we did we did together with the sole purpose of it being together. Our sex was together to pleasure each other. Or love was together to love each other. Even when the day came that I could not do these sorts of things with Astrid, or had something happened like when she was nearly blinded permanently. It would not change my love for her, nor my desire to be there for her and make her happy in whatever capacity I could. Our impassioned sex was something not to be taken for granted but was also not the sole focus of our relationship. That said, as young adults filled with vigor, it certainly was a focal point of our current time together.

She had fallen asleep in my arms, and I was close to that as well. But I also liked falling asleep after her, I loved holding her in my arms, the feeling of our bodies pressed together. Feeling her heartbeat as it goes from its quick, concupiscence rhythm to a more stable and calmer rhythm. Feeling her breath as her lungs finally recover from our long-drawn actions together and her breath ebbs and flows to a soft, warm breath that tickles my shoulder and neck.

I could lay with her in my arms for eternity, travel into Valhalla with her and greet the gods with her in my arms. I would not fear the unknown with her, I would not fear myself. She gave me a sense of peace I didn't know I longed for until I found it. I can only wonder if this is what my father felt for my mother, or if this is something that is rarely felt. Just judging by the dance my parents shared together when they met for the first time after twenty years, their love was no less than mine is for Astrid. We may well be the wild sheep of the herd though, as many relationships are born out of strife, peer pressure or bad decisions; and many more linger longer than they should due to societal expectations, traditions and fear. None of these were true between us, and we were proudly and happily together.

As she lay there sleeping, my own eyes started to flutter closed and all that passed through my mind was images of her, of her naked body against mine, of everything we had done. With my eyes closed, I was exploring her body as she lay bare in my arms, imagining my head between her legs, her riding me as I lay on my back, her on her knees and arms as I took her from behind. Imagining how I could lay on my back and she could sit on my face or sit straddling my hips; it had become one of our favorite positions. The sounds she makes with each thrust and how each sound she makes drives me even wilder, how hearing her fills me with such pleasure that it literally is music to my ears. It didn't take long after these thoughts appearing that my member started to pulse as I smiled and chuckled softly to myself. With her asleep, I would patiently and gladly wait until she rose. My own mind wandered and took my back to relive our times together until sleep finally overtook me, I did not fight it and let the fatigue take me.

The heat never subsided and though I know I slept; it didn't feel like more than a few minutes later when I felt movement but couldn't place it. My eyes were still shut and my body was waking up, though I realized I had ended up laying on my back with Astrid laying half on top of me, her hips pressing against mine as I start to realize she is certainly awake. I was more awake than I had realized as I soon felt the sensation of her hand on my member, gently stroking it as her breath wisps across my chest. She was partially laying on one of my arms enough that I could bring it up and gently stroke her back with my eyes still closed. I hear her laugh lightly as I feel my member throb in her grip.

"I thought you were awake." She whispers against my chest as I smile with my eyes close.

"Mmm, I am now. What time is it?" I ask without opening my eyes and I feel her shrug.

"Still dark…" She says slowly before I feel her leg that had been only partially over top of me rotate as she slide fully on top of me. Her area now pressing against my reawakened member as it throbs, and I laugh lightly. I feel her breath against my lips as I open my eyes to see her looking down at me with a smile. She bites her lip and looks down as she slowly grinds her hips before looking back to me.

I slide my hands to her hips and twerk my hips just enough as my member throbs that it slides right in her opening as I hear her gasp. She leans in and kisses me. She grinds her hips, applying more pressure and contracting her muscles around my member that it prompts me to moan against her kiss. She smiles as she breaks the kiss and presses her hands to my chest, leaning up just enough to look at me as she continues grinding our hips together, moving my member to touch every inch within her.

"I love hearing you moan." She whispers softly as I smile.

"This is one of our favorite positions." I tease as she nods, biting her lip and grinding a bit more rapidly. I could think of no better thing to wake up too than her grinding her body against mine, hearing her moans as they filled the room. Each different movement she makes enough to prompt an inhale and exhale, amounting to short, repetitive and alluring moans.

We would probably end up falling asleep again, but our bodies had recovered enough to be able to go at it again, and that was what we did. It was something neither of us tired of, something that both of us longed for and had longed for since being on the Edge. Sure, we had other things to worry about, even after we became official, but the thoughts were still present and now we were able to live them to their fullest.

I felt her rocking start to increase as both of us were still sensitive from earlier, it wouldn't take either of us much at this point to reach another climax and lay shaking in each other's arms as our bodies ebb together. We had only woken ten or so minutes ago, and I could already feel her legs begin to shake and her muscles clench around my member. I was doing everything I could to not explode then and there; tightening my stomach and moving in just the right way it didn't trigger my explosion. I was ready to climax as I felt she was too.

"I'm- Hi-Hi-Hiccup. I'm- al-already… theree.." She stammers between moans as I give in and let myself explode as I feel her muscles tighten and her legs shake as she cries out. "Hiccup!"

"Astrid!" I call back as I thrust us, letting my explosion push as deep as it could as she presses down before falling flat on my chest. We lay there for several seconds, panting together as I feel her heartbeat like a war drum as I smile, stroking her hair. "It's moments like these I'm glad Berk get's a lot of snow." I tease as she scoffs and smiles, looking up from my chest before kissing it lightly.

"Yeah, yeah. I guess, me too." She says softly as I gaze down at her and smile. "We should probably get some real sleep, we offered to take the morning patrol flight during a lull in the storm." Astrid adds and I nod, honestly having forgotten that part. I would've remembered, but at that moment, it was an Oh, Yeah, moment. Snowfall was often a mix of deathly silence to billowing winds, the winds had died down since earlier in the evening, but it was the deathly silence that bore the more danger, the coldest and often with most snowfall.

"You're right." I whisper, tugging her up to me and reaching towards the blanket that was sprawled on the floor. I wrap it around is and lay on my back as she resumes her half on top of me position beneath the sheets. This time, it didn't take me long to succumb to sleep with her in my arms.


	61. Gelid Dawn

Whatever cold may have been outside was incapable of penetrating the wall of heat the stemmed from the radiating firepit that was smoldering next to us. It had kept the house comfortably warm. With the door shut and covered and the windows sealed, the heat didn't escape, and the cold didn't enter. This made us asleep in each other's arms more comfortable. I stirred slightly and felt her laying partially on top of me still, her soft breath the only sound I hear beyond the cracks in the fire pit. There is a deathly still silence outside whereas most mornings, the sounds of the early risers getting to work could be heard.

As vikings, we all had our trades and our expertise, we had the things we did each day to help the village succeed. From tending to farm animals, hunting or gathering, blacksmithing our weapons or leatherworking our cloths, our herbalists, fishing or diluting honey and water to create our mead. We had grown to a point that when traders arrived, they brought things we couldn't do ourselves due to Berks' own climate. There were certain spices we had stockpiled for the freeze, certain medicines we couldn't create. Then, of course, were those that manned the ships or the new wave of dragon riders. Berk had grown from its former place as another nameless clan to a true power within the archipelago, and most of it was due to my father's willingness to adapt.

It's something else that now I was able to come to terms and think happily and celebrate my father rather than be pained by his passing. Mala had said it was a matter of perspective when the Eruptadon passed, that they celebrated it instead of mourning. Indeed, that's what most did, we celebrated my father; I even put on a smile for that celebration, even if it was fake. It had taken months but here I was, and I think he'd be proud.

"Hiccup?" I hear Astrid's soft voice whisper as her breath pauses. I feel her hand that had been resting on my chest move slightly as I feel her nails lightly trace my chest. I run my hand slowly down her back and rest it on her hip as I smile, my gaze opening and staring at the ceiling.

"Good morning." I whisper back and I feel her let out a breath as her hand rests again and she reaches with her other hand. Tugging the blanket that we were laying on, she throws it overtop of us both, so it's wrapped around her back and hugging her shoulders. I feel her nestle in a little more as she tightens her leg to lock with mine. Responding in kind, I inch her closer to me with my arm and pull the blanket the rest of the way; it was a rather large, comfortable blanket.

"Not yet." She whispers, her hand still tracing my chest. She didn't want to wake just yet, and I agree. Neither of us were too keen on the dawn flight we were going to take around Berk to check on the snow, check for anyone in our waters and such.

"We don't need to leave yet. I can go alone, if you want?" I offer quietly as I caress her back. I feel her lips lightly kiss my chest as she shakes her head.

"No, we're going together. I just don't want to go yet. I want to stay like this just a little longer." She answers softly, her voice barely enough to be considered a whisper as I could tell her eyes had closed again. She wasn't going back to sleep, at least, I don't think she was. She was like me, she wanted to just lay and enjoy just being together.

This time, there was nothing but each other. There was no sex, there was no time limit, there was no expectations or goals. This was one of those moments we could just be. It was these moments that truly defined who we were together, more than the passion, more than the fighting side by side. This was just us, laying side by side, together. I also could live in these moments, every time we had our moments of pillow talk after or before sex. Every moment we spent in each other's arms before the fire under a blanket just sitting, those mattered as much, if not more, to me than anything else. From her reaction just now, I could sense she felt the same though I honestly had no doubt.

We lay there in relative silence for the next half an hour. I knew she was awake as I felt her breath change as it filtered across my chest and her fingers would randomly trace my chestline, though I know her eyes were shut. My own were filtering between partially opened to closed as I continued to softly caress her back, letting my hand linger every so often. The only real sounds being made are from the cracks of embers in the fire pit as it lay smoldering.

"I love you." Her voice breaks the relative silence, prompting my eyes to open and glance down at her. I can see her eyes had opened and she was looking up to me with a soft smile.

"I love you." I answer softly with a warm smile and she crawls up and kisses me. I let my eyes close as I drink in the feeling of her lips against mine, her scent and very presence was potent and made me happy. As she pulled her lips back and rested her head back on my upper chest and hooking her arm with my shoulder, I lay there smiling. "What was that for?" I ask and I feel her shrug.

"I just wanted to. Hiccup, I couldn't be happier with you." She answers, pausing though before I can say anything, I feel her breath hitch. "You understand me, you've always respected me, never once expected anything from me and not ever underestimated me." She continues softly as I gaze down at her, her eyes were closed as she spoke into my shoulder. I take her hand that had been on my shoulder and intwine my fingers with hers as I feel her sigh. This is another side of Fearless Astrid Hofferson Haddock that was reserved only for me; and I didn't need to speak as she continued. "I appreciate you and everything you do. I just… I wanted to say that out loud…" She finishes softly as her grip in mine tightens.

"Hey." I whisper, bringing her hand up to mine as I kiss it softly. "I feel the very same." I begin as she smiles and rubs her thumb on the back of my hand in her grip.

"You don't need to say anything, Hiccup." She says softly and leans up again, kissing me amid a smile, laying her head besides mine as our lips part again.

"Maybe I want too." I playfully retort as she laughs lightly and rolls her eyes. "Then, let me just say that I couldn't be happier with you, and I truly appreciate you too." I finish as she smiles, closing her eyes and pressing her forehead into the side of my head. I couldn't really tell, but she seemed almost on the verge of tears. Not that it was a bad thing, or something to be ashamed of. She didn't seem upset and the look in her eyes, the smile on her face was nothing but genuine and heartfelt. Eyes cannot hide the love one feels for another and can often reveal what the mouth may be afraid to speak.

We laid like that for another while. I didn't prod, nor ask what brought that outpour out of her, for she was often the more reserved unless it was to help me work through something. This seemed like it was to help her, though maybe it was for me as well. Hearing those words from her lips made me happy for it helped to expunge any doubt or fear my subconscious may have had. Not that I feared for our relationship in the slightest, though I had wondered at times why Astrid had chosen me. I hadn't wondered such in a long while and now, as then, I had my answer. She was no trophy, no tool; she was not a servant nor fool. She was my ally, my friend, my peer, long before she was my lover. She would always be those things, and more, with me; never less.

*********************************

Neither Hiccup nor I ever actually fell back asleep, and I was okay with that. Right now, I just wanted to lay with him, to be with him and to hold him. I didn't feel vulnerable, I wasn't afraid or worried. I was happy; I am happy. What I told him, it came from a place of contentedness, of inner peace. A peace that I rarely felt before, that was becoming more common the more open he and I were becoming with each other. With him, I could show sides of myself no one else would ever see. The tender side, the emotional side; the side a warrior hides or shields in the face of battle to reveal only to those they trust unto the death.

I trace his chestline and smile silently as I feel his hand trace my back. Neither of us say anything, we just lay there in each other's arms; quietly taking in each other's presence. It was something I couldn't get enough of. Just holding each other, it felt as though two hearts were beating as one, two minds thinking as one, two bodies moving as one. It was something I didn't believe possible when I was younger, and it was something I was glad to be wrong about.

When we finally rose the next time, we both knew what had to come next. The morning ride into the blizzard to check for any damage, any emergencies around the island. We had both opted to do it to allow the riders time to rest. We had been pushing them harder with our reignited war against the trappers, and they deserved a rest in a warm house against the winter storms.

This time, we actually both got up and I felt genuinely sore in certain areas that made me blush thinking about. I had to stretch my legs to loosen the muscles and walk semi-right. We moved together to the barrel of water and helped to scrub each other down in the warm water; the house's ambient temperature helping prevent the water from being freezing cold. We dress in our dragonscale flight suits which helped hold the ambient heat of our bodies in and blocked out all but the coldest and strongest of winds. It was then I walked up to the wall and placed my hand against it to feel the beating chill that radiated from it. The fire pit failing to stave off the cold on the walls.

As Hiccup readies Toothless, I tend to Stormfly and give her a piece of chicken to help rouse her from her nestled perch in the house. It was the same perch Toothless used those years ago to hide from Stoick when Stoick was first learning how to fly. I then felt a rush of bone chilling air as I glance up to the second level to see Hiccup had opened the sky door to peer outside. As expected, a small bit of snow fell inside the house but overall, the sky door was opened un-challenged. I climb up the steps as Hiccup is lifted up on Toothless to gaze out. When he comes back down, his face is riddled with a frown and as I take my hand to touch his cheek, is cold to the touch.

"Bad?" I ask softly and he nods.

"Overnight, it looks to be at least six feet of snow if not more. Light is barely filtering through the clouds, and we're surrounded by them. We're probably going to be hit again mid day." Hiccup explains as I nod, taking his hand.

"Okay, it's okay. We prepared for this, everyone was prepared. Let's get out there and do what we need to do then get back here." I say with a smile as he nods, handing me my helmet.

"Wear your helmet, it'll be cold. Let's go. First, a fly around Berk. Checking our waters, looking for signal fires from any of the huts or anyone trapped. Then we'll check the docks, dragon pens and the Great Hall. If all checks out, we'll button back down." He explains and I nod, though I stop him from putting on his helmet and kiss him on the lips strongly, closing my eyes and smiling as we part.

"To help warm us up." I tease and he smiles, laughing lightly and nodding.

Together we take off on our dragons and he was right. The air was biting cold and I could see us surrounded by dark winter clouds. Ice plates had formed on the sea waters between sea stacks and such, though not enough to create a bridge for the Stingers like it had years before. We were fortunate on our initial fly of Berk, no signal fires, no signs of ship traffic or people stuck or in danger. The entire city was buried in snow and most doors weren't even visible. The peak of Berk had gotten a little more snow that stuck.

Darting down to the docks, we find all our ships anchored and closed off save the one Valka and Eret took. The ice plates would prevent any ship from entering or exiting the port until they melted, or we melted them. We quickly moved on to the dragon pens where we discovered a problem; the storm overnight had blown open one of the hatches that didn't get properly locked and the dragon pens were riddled with snow.

That said, the dragons were survivalist and there were pools of lava from the resident gronkles that helped stave off the cold. We landed inside and locked up the large dragon door, securing it from being opened again. Then, we walked the dragon pens and toss a couple fish to each dragon in the stables as we made our way through the pens. The pens surfaced in a couple places, being made from Whispering Death tunnels. We had closed off most avenues to the pens except the one that lead to the Academy, the market and just inside the Great Hall. Since the whole Krogan incident where they took over the edge, we had established a secondary shaft into the pens from the Hall to give that point of access. The pens were only accessible in those three spots, and the flight doors themselves.

When we entered the Great Hall, we saw several dozen Berkians asleep on anything from a bar bench to a hammock. It was also warm and well stocked. Not wanting to wake anyone, Hiccup left a small note next to a sleeping Sven before we retreated down the tunnels to the Pens. The note was a simple 'Hiccup was here, send out a distress fire if you need help. All seems well.'

Once back in the pens, we left through a secondary, smaller door that could be sealed from the outside from the flight doors and took back off. In the time it took us to traverse the pens and Great Hall to exiting the Pens again, it had started snowing lightly again. A preamble to the coming storm. It was reassuring to see the village so quiet in the face of a storm that now, all that needed to be done was us returning home and buttoning back down.

We wasted no time and made our way back to the house, closing the sky roof behind us and reigniting the fire pit to burn anew. We unsaddled our dragons and lost our flight suits and then made a small bit of food to eat.

"How long do you think this storm will last?" I ask Hiccup as he shrugs, taking a bite of his breakfast.

"Hopefully not more than a couple of days. I'd rather my mother not be stuck out there that long, and no Terrible Terror will fly through that to get here with news." Hiccup answers and there is a slight pang of worry in his voice as I nod, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"When the storm calms down long enough, we can go out and find them. I'll brave any storm with you to help you." I say confidently as he smiles, taking my hand and pulling me in for a lingering kiss.

"For now, let's stay here and see what the day brings. We'll be stuck here most of the day but…" He pauses and kisses me lightly on the lips again. "I'm sure we'll find ways to pass the time." He teases and I nod, biting my lip and smiling.

"I'm sure we will." I restate with a smile. Already my mind had switched gears to all the things we could do together in a naked position next to the fire pit. Another day of just Hiccup and I, and I couldn't be happier.


	62. Impassioned Blizzard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

This storm had been one of the best things that's happened for me recently. As much as I hated being grounded from flying Stormfly due to the weather, I was grounded with the one person I can genuinely enjoy time with. After we finished our dawn patrol, we returned and ate a hearty breakfast; we would need the energy from the food as the day was going to be anything but dull for us.

It wasn't long thereafter that our cloths had all but vanished into some corner of the house and we were sprawled on the large blanket that sat next to the firepit. Toothless had since relit the pit before resuming his place on the second floor and Stormfly had already nestled back into her perch, leaving us to our own devices. He had since laid me on my back and had begun exploring my body again. Our passion wasn't limited to traditional sexual intercourse; we both truly enjoyed each other. This was another such moment where we could take our time and just explore one another, and Hiccup was going first. His lips and fingers traced down my neck to my collar bone and shoulders as I hear him laugh lightly.

"I'm starting to see marks where I…" he pauses and bites down on my lower neckline, causing me to gasp and inhale sharply in a light moan as I bite my lip and close my eyes; my hands clenching the blanket. "…bite." He finishes softly, then kissing it.

"Marks only you'll see." I whisper as I feel him kiss down my chest and on my upper breasts as his fingers trace around my nipples, barely touching them enough to give me goosebumps and make them even more sensitive. He was doing more than exploring, he was teasing, and he was doing a really good job at it as I felt my legs curl and my area below pulse at his touch.

He lingers here, allowing his lips to caress my one of my breasts as his hand tends to the other. I feel his tongue circle and slather my nipple as I hear myself moan; my eyes still shut as my hands continue clenching the blanket. He stops suddenly and I feel his finger trace just above my breast line around my collar and shoulder.

"A scar?" He whispers, and I remember when I was first training Stormfly, the number of times she fired spines around me. One of them struck me pretty good, of course, I never told anyone. I did more training than even Hiccup did before we left for the Edge, after the Red Death. I'd noticed the scar some time ago, though it was barely visible unless under heavy scrutiny, and only Hiccup would ever be so close. Well, maybe Gothi if the situation demanded but not in this way.

"From Stormfly, a long, long time ago." I say softly and he nods, kissing it and massaging it with his finger before kissing back down to my breasts.

"What other scars do you have?" He asks, semi-rhetorically as I laugh lightly at his touch and glancing down at him.

"You're one to talk, the amount you have from everything you've been through." I retort playfully as he smiles.

"You've never said anything before." He states and I nod along as his lips find my other nipple, closing my eyes and lightly moaning.

"I-I like them." I whimper at his touch, and I did.

We were both in love for more than our bodies, our emotional, mental and spiritual connection made the physical attraction we felt amplified if nothing else. I could be blind, and nothing would change except my ability to see his eyes, his smile, his body. But not my ability to see the love we share. Though, I'd be lying if I pretended that I didn't find him attractive. The years as a blacksmith, as a rider had been good to him. Beneath the dragonscale flight suit most saw him in was a chiseled and lean body of remarkable muscles. Snotlout found that out the hard way when Hiccup decked him in the face back on the Edge. There was more to Hiccup, though. He had lost his foot and had left battles and training with his fair share of scars. Nothing overt, only things we would see amid the firelight.

Once Hiccup felt he was done caressing my breasts, much to my own chagrin for I could happily feel that for hours, he continues down. His lips and fingers trace down my stomach as I feel my own abs clench at his touch, and I feel him smile as he kisses, his hands tracing down my ribs to my waist. He moves one finger and traces another small line on my abdomen as I think back to the time when we attempted to recover Stormfly from Ryker.

"Another one." He whispers, kissing it as I nod.

"When we went to save Stormfly and I was knocked off Toothless, the grappling chain that grabbed me before you could.. it left a mark." I answer softly and I feel him sigh as he kisses it again.

"Even then I knew, maybe it helped me realize it fully." He says softly against my abdomen, though before I could ask for clarification he continues. "I knew I didn't want to be in a world without you in it." He finishes and I smile, my eyes lightly opening as I feel him getting lower to the area of my desire. I wanted nothing more than to feel his tongue caress me down there, to feel his fingers explore. Though, he was exploring and teasing at the same time, so of course, I'd have to wait.

He kissed down my right thigh as he paused again, his finger tracing the arrow wound from when I blocked a dragonroot arrow from hitting Stormfly with my thigh. He didn't ask this one, he recognized it, he only kissed it again and continued down my bare leg. Once he got to my foot, he took it in his hands and massaged the sole of my foot. I'd never felt a foot massage before, and it honestly felt really, really good. He lingered there a moment before switching to the other foot, he massaged that one as well for a minute or two before kissing his way up my leg. This thigh had no scars and I felt him kiss to my waist where he let his lips linger. I bit my lip again and slowly spread my legs further apart without a word, hoping he'd take the hint. Sometimes, Hiccup could miss the point, but this was not one of those times.

He kisses down a little more before I felt him hike my thighs over his shoulders as he reached up past them and wrapped one of his arms around my waist. I felt his tongue slide across the entirety of the opening below before his lips wrapped around my area as he slid a single finger inside while his tongue and lips worked their magic. What he could do with his tongue, lips and finger was a thing of pure pleasure for me, hitting every one of my nerves; my back was already arching as I was gasping for breath and moaning at his touch. He never stopped, only continued and explored more. His tongue had eventually joined his finger as it dives inside me from below, eliciting another stifled moan as my breath hitches. He slips another finger in and moves them together as my moans become increasingly unstifled and louder.

Were it not for the blizzard that now raged outside, I'd almost be worried someone would hear me. But as the wind was on our side right now, I didn't care and allowed myself to make as much noise as my body deemed necessary. I slide my hands down my chest and they soon found Hiccup's head, weaving through his hair I pressed against his head as my hips began to grind vigorously against his mouth and fingers. He didn't seem to mind as his pace only increases and my own feeling of pleasure reached it's climax. My body shook and I felt myself explode below as I moaned before inhaling sharply and exhaling loosely, my back arching as my toes curled against the blanket as my knees locked. My whole body was shaking as the pressure I had on his head had all but evaporated and he slowly kisses his way back up.

Looking over me, he smiled and before he could do anything, I grabbed his cheeks and pulled him in for a long, passionate kiss where our tongues met, and I tasted myself in his mouth. When we finally broke, I smiled and pushed him over onto his back.

"My turn." I whispered as I began crawling on him. It was my turn to explore.

*********************************

I loved it when it was her turn, almost as much as I loved it when it was mine, though I must say, I loved it most when we shared a turn. That said, I had no problem laying back and letting Astrid explore me in my entirety, as I was hers to know. She wasn't wrong about the number of scars I had acquired over the years, compared to the three I found on her otherwise perfect, toned body. From chest to heel, I had a fair share of small scars that ranged in origin.

A good portion of them were from training Toothless and all the trial and error I did while making a flight suit, a harness, falling off his back, getting whiplash. It wasn't easy being the first Dragon Trainer on Berk, even if my mother had trained dragons long before I did. That said, they weren't all from that. I had more than a couple I had gotten from Dagur or Krogan, Ragnar the Rock also had given me a nice one along my abdomen that I only hoped would fade.

Astrid had taken a similar path that I had, beginning with my neckline and biting down on it, giving me what I imagine are her own marks around my neck and shoulder. Marks that were for us only. Each time I felt her teeth clench down, I gasped, and my hands found her back, pulling down slightly and pressing her body to mine. I heard her soft laugh as I did so as she moved down my body to my chest. There, I felt her fingers trace several areas and as I looked, she was tracing various small scars I had acquired over the years.

For Vikings, scars were a right of passage, a sign that not only had you seen battle, but you were triumphant. I had never been one for pain, or battle; never had I wanted to gain a scar for the sake of having a scar. That Astrid liked them made me happy, as I had grown content with what I had acquired over the years. She didn't ask me about specific ones, she knew there were many and what they could be, though she did linger longer when she reached my abdomen and kissed along the larger scar that Ragnar had given me when I was down and out for what felt like a month. She shook her head and hugged my abdomen.

"I was so angry. I was seeing red, I wanted to do to Ragnar what you had to do to Krogan, and I'm not proud of that." She admits softly as I reach down and stroke her hair.

"I'd feel the same, we'll get them too." I respond softly and she smiles, kissing it again before continuing further down. My member was laying across my lower abdomen and hard, and as I felt her breath against it, I felt it throb and pulse up. Like it was trying to stand straight up in anticipation. I heard her soft laugh again as she took it in her hand and gently stroked it, though continuing down.

"Only fair." She murmurs softly, releasing it and kissing down my leg, running her fingers down it to my right foot. She paused as she reached the nub that had been my former left foot. "I knew then, I think. You were the unassuming hero-type, never asking for praise, risking everything for what you believed in even if it meant going against everything. I was young, we were. But I knew then, and I was so scared, I still remember." She says softly as her fingers trace around the base of the nub. It didn't hurt, I hadn't felt pain there in years, and it had healed rather well thanks to Gothi and Gobber.

"We made it here, and we did it together." I say without any context, it was hard to answer her feelings from years ago, and maybe that was the point. Either way, we knew, and we made it. I saw her smile as she crawled her way back up my other leg and her hand had found my erect member again.

"We made it… here?" She teasingly asks as she kisses just the tip of my member which prompts it to throb in her grip. I was sensitive as well, feeling her body crawl across mine was intoxicating, I could drink up her presence; everything about her like this was potent.

She didn't wait for me to answer as she wrapped her lips around my member again, prompting it to pulse again as she begins bobbing her head and stroking the base with her hands. I gasp and inhale sharply as I look down and watch her bob her head on my member. The sight was so alluring, mesmerizing, each bob of her head and stroke of her hand was like it's own still moment in time.

She had begun going down further than before, and I felt the pressure of her throat on the tip of my member as she continued to dive as deep as she could. The feeling was immeasurable, and her mouth was so warm as she slathered my member with her tongue. My own hands found their way to her shoulders, eventually weaving into her hair as she did mine. I felt like I was nearing an explosion as I began thrusting up into her mouth as she bobbed down, helping her get as deep as she could, helping me.

"I'm- I'm about to—As-Astrid..!" I exclaim as I glance down to her. In that moment, our eyes locked and before they break, I see her nod as she dives deeper down and I press against her head, pressing up as far as I can. The full length of my member inside her mouth as I feel myself explode and her throat contracting as I feel her swallowing. As she pulls her head up and pants for breath, she smiles at me.

"You deserved that." She whispered and I smiled.

"Astrid, I want you to turn around, and sit right here." I playfully say, patting my mouth as she bites her lips and nods.

"Your wish is my command, my Chief." She teases, getting up and walking so that she is standing over my head. She lowers herself down and lays across my chest, her hands finding my still throbbing member as I grip her hips and pull her all the way down. She's now straddling my face, and all I can see, smell, taste or touch is her. Her scent is potent, and her taste is alluring. I waste no time and dive my tongue inside of her as I feel her legs almost give out in my initial contact; she was obviously still sensitive.

She too wasted no time and her lips soon found their way back around my member. I continue diving my tongue in and around her area, layering her slit and drinking in her presence as I heard her moan. She had paused several times as I continued, and I could tell she was getting close again as she grinds down against my face. I loved it, every second of it. She tries to maintain composure and tries to keep her lips around my member, but the pleasure she's feeling seems to be too much as her legs start to shake again. That was yet another thing I loved, the ability to make her feel this way endlessly. My own member had a lifespan before it would want to rest, but her, her I could continue to give attention to, and she would only succumb to the pleasure more easily. I had grown quite fond of drinking in her pleasure, her scent, her presence had become something that I had longed for during the days.

She wasn't ready to be outmatched, and everything had to be a competition. Though I felt her legs shaking and tasted her as she exploded, grinding against my face, she didn't stop. She fought, so hard, and I could tell, to continue. With how sensitive I was already after having erupted once, it didn't take much for me either, and she didn't stop there. As I felt myself begin to throb and tense, she knew and since I couldn't warn her with her straddling my face, she dived down deep. I felt her lips wrap around and felt the pressure of her throat as the full length of my member was sheathed by her mouth. I felt myself explode again and felt the pressure as she swallowed again.

Rolling to the side, she laid beside me and reached out to me, my hand finding hers as we pant breathlessly staring at each other from afar as our bodies lay opposite each other. We had no care to rotate, not yet, we'd certainly have time to cuddle later. Right now, we were both more than content to simply find solace in each other's presence. I soon saw her eyes close as mine closed shortly after, it was time for a mid-morning nap.


	63. Dawning Horizons

Astrid and I spend much of the next two days enthralled in each other's arms, in between our dawn and dusk patrols. The waters around Berk had been beautifully quiet and there were more ice plates that had formed. Berk would be locked from boat traffic for at least a week after the storm before they all melted away completely. The snow ended up being closer to ten feet, burying most people in their houses.

The storm front itself lasted for a little over two full days before it finally calmed down and we were able to fly without a raging wind or pounding blizzard. We were also the only two able to take to the air in this. None of the other huts had any sky roofs or the like. As we take to the sky and the sun breaks through the cloud cover finally, we rise above Berk and survey the whiteout that has happened over the terrain. Most of the trees were layered and nearly the entire down was blanketed.

We first flew to the exterior entrance to the Dragon Pens and together, we blew off the snow that had been otherwise blocking the doors. Once we cleared it, we opened one of them and made our way inside and walked the hall.

"Okay, bud. We need to get all the dragons organized and have them melt the snow around Berk. Controlled fire, not hitting the houses. You got it bud?" I say, turning to Toothless who does a curt growl as he then howls down the pens and Astrid and I glance to each other as we hear the rumbling of dragons as they stir in their pens. Together we walk the pens and open the doors as Toothless calls out to them, each of them following down to the entrance of the pens. His back glowing the lightning blue, almost like a Skrill.

Soon, dozens of dragons are sitting, perched, standing before Toothless and Stormfly as they prepare to lead the charge. Astrid and I make our way back to the front and hop on our respective dragons before taking flight. A flock of dragons following suit as Toothless roars again and they all fall into line as we circle Berk and head towards the center of down. In a unified motion, the first wave of dragons unleash their flames and melt the snow down, clearing almost the entirety of the center. The last freeze we had like this; we maybe had a dozen dragons on Berk. This time, we had literal hundreds, and the snow was nothing more than an inconvenience for us.

He roars a couple more times and then, various scores of dragons martial off in different directions burning through the snow. A group walked the way to the Academy, while another group walks towards the Great Hall. Several others split off and goes door to door, melting enough for them to be opened while another group goes to the docks. This was the first time I was capitalizing on Toothless as the Alpha since it happened, and if it worked without anything being burnt down, I'd be genuinely impressed.

As the dragons started their melting torchwork, which didn't take much after Toothless did his roar, Astrid and I took to the air and watched as slowly houses became opened up and the path to the various areas were cleared. Hinging Toothless over to the farms, a few other dragons followed us and the Monstrous Nightmares that were around erupted and landed in the snow, melting large swaths of dragon-sized areas from the barns to the fields.

I'll be honest, I would end up being a bit spoiled after this. Having the dragons so well coordinated after a big freeze made this years freeze like nothing. Astrid and I circled as we started seeing Berkians and Dragons exiting their huts after the dragons had cut a swath past houses. Soon, we saw Snotlout, the twins and Fishlegs barrel into the air and meet up with us.

"How did you manage that?" Fishlegs asks, flying up to us as Toothless cooed and I patted him on the side.

"Toothless. He's full of surprises, even to this day. He organized the dragons and now their working in a unified fashion. It's incredible." I answer as I glance to Astrid who nods, smiling.

"It was impressive, all of the dragons, from the Nightmares and Nadders to the few random offshoot dragons like the Thunderclaw or Hobblegrunt, all of them heeded Toothless's call without question." Astrid remarks in somewhat awe.

"That's why you started going crazy in the house. You're still my dragon, buddy. Toothless can go all Alpha he wants, but you work for me." Snotlout remarks to Hookfang who snorts and lights his horns on fire, singing Snotlout's hands as he growls. "Hey! Hookfang." He grumbles as we laugh.

"I gotta say, H, having T as the new Alpha is awesome. You should use his Alphatonic dragonic abilities more often. Like, imagine. A sky full of dragons descending down upon wayward trappers as they entrap poor dragons for their nefarious reasons." Tuffnut exclaims as he pauses and glances at Ruffnut. "Uh, why are they trapping, again. Like, HT totally took out their evil dictator." Tuff asks as Ruffnut shrugs.

"Obviously they are scared of one mister Hiccup Haddock and his ability to magically win any situation." Ruffnut explains as I roll my eyes and I hear Astrid laugh.

"Oh, come on guys, I've lost plenty of times." I retort and Tuffnut just shakes his head.

"False, El Jefe, O Chief of ours. You were temporarily outsmarted by several ruthless enemies and then won in the end. Come on, don't you even pay attention to your own actions." Tuffnut retorts back as I sigh as he glances to Ruff. "I swear, sometimes I think Loki replaces Hiccup with a less smart version of himself."

"Really, Tuff?" I exclaim as I still hear Astrid snickering as she flies besides me. "Astrid, you aren't supposed to laugh at their jokes." I groan as she shrugs and smiles.

"They have a point sometimes, Hiccup." Astrid says as both Tuff and Ruff loudly gasp

"Ruff, did you hear what I just heard? Astrid. Saying we make sense?" Tuff exclaims

"It certainly did sound like that. I'm not quite sure I believe it." Ruff answers as Astrid smiles a sly grin.

"I did say 'Sometimes.'" She finishes.

"Alright, alright, can we all just head over to the Great Hall, get some real food going. I haven't eaten anything but smoked fish in days." Snotlout exclaims as we all laugh.

"Try cooking something else. Can't always rely on others to cook for you." I retort and he shrugs.

"Uh, that's one of the reason people get married." Snotlout shrugs and I feel Astrid burning a hole into his skull as I can't help but laugh internally.

"Actually, Snotlout. Hiccup is a better cook than I am." Astrid nearly snarls at him. She hated his still womanizing comments that slipped past his brain at times.

"Well, Astrid-!" Snotlout begins before Fishlegs stops him.

"You better stop while you're still flying, Snotlout. Astrid is behind you, with Stormfly." Fishlegs advises as Snotlout raises a finger, then drops it and grumbles.

"I meant you marry someone who is a better cook. You are, aren't you Astrid!? See! Not womanizing. Relax. Gods." He retorts, ignoring Fishlegs advice to make his point and I honestly agreed. We did sort of jump the gun on that one, but his track record isn't exactly great. I glance at Astrid who's eyes meet mine and the fire in her eyes soften as she smiles weakly and shrugs.

"That's not why I'm with Hiccup." She says softly, almost so quiet that it vanished with the wind or that it was only meant for me. Snotlout certainly didn't respond to her comment as we all made our way to the Great Hall. Many of the villagers were already making their way to those halls, and those inside were stretching outside. More than a few of the kids on Berk had been thrown into the ten-foot snowbank and vanished in a ploof of white.

The statue of my father was partially covered with snow as well, but his face was still visible as he looked down over the village where we landed. The sight of that statue honestly made me happy to see, a sign that he was watching over us all form Valhalla. He had earned the rest, even though I wish he could've retired with my mother alive. When we entered the halls, there were cheers from Vikings as the riders walked in. Those sorts of things always made me uncomfortable, especially now that I was chief. Just another adjustment.

*********************************

Interestingly enough, the applause in the Great Hall wasn't solely for the Dragon Riders as we entered like we thought. It was for Hiccup and Toothless because without them, we'd still be buried. Sure, the dragons could've been organized over more time, but Toothless being Alpha and being so close to Hiccup made it like the snap of a finger. I honestly loved seeing the village accept and cheer for him; especially considering the rough patches we went through in the first month after Stoick.

Now, several months later, several successful raids and dragons saved later, several crises averted, they accepted him. I'd stay by his side through all the hardships, even when he had to make the hardest decisions that potentially turned some of our own people against him. It wouldn't matter, he was our Chief, he was our Leader, he is my lover. I'd sooner leave Berk to some secluded island with him than lose him. It's amazing how I have felt my priorities shift, and of course, I'd never tell him any of that. He'd absolutely hate the idea of me having to choose, of being put in that position; not that I was.

Soon thereafter, we found our way to the Chief table where Hiccup called everyone's attention in the Hall. The entire village had filtered out if for no other reason than to reconnect after a cold three days.

"Hopefully everyone had a nice, warm freeze. The Dragons, with the help of Toothless and Stormfly, are organized and clearing the way. We took a flight around Berk, and we'll be locked in with ice plates for at least a week, they cover much of the surrounding waters. The storm seems to be over, though, and we can start trying to recover our stores." Hiccup explains as he glances around the room. "Does anyone have any issues that need to be addressed first from the storm?"

"Aye, Me barn had a partial collapse of the wall. The yaks nearly froze!" Mulch calls out as Hiccup nods.

"Alright, Gustov, you and the A team, barring Bucket and Mulch, will be on repair duty. Help Mulch get his barn back up to speed." Hiccup says and Gustov salutes as Hiccup sighs with a smile."

"You got it, Chief." Gustov answers amid his salute

"You don't need to salute me." He softly exclaims, and just like with Stoick, Gustov ignores him and does it anyways which makes me smile. "Anyone else?" Hiccup asks, looking out to the sea of Vikings. As no one else speaks, Hiccup nods. "Alright, with that, let's get some good warm food going and sit and eat together again! We've got plenty of time to catch back up!" Hiccup finishes and everyone cheers as they begin rambling about, various people making their way to other parts as a few dedicated chefs who have been excellent cooks start preparing mutton and yak chops. Gobber walks up to us with his usual surly grin.

"Oi, eh, Chief. Nothin' bad. Good job clearn' the village. I, uh, we still haven't gotten anything from yer mother yet." Gobber explains softly as I glance to Hiccup and slide my hand under the table, taking his hand.

"She should've sent a message by now." Hiccup says softly. "Even with the storm, we should've heard something, anything."

"I know, Chief. Give it another day, or don't, I mean. You're the chief." Gobber says as he shambles away awkwardly and Hiccup glances to me with a soft gaze and I smile.

"Let's go after we eat. You and I, we'll cover air faster and can better stay off any threat's path. Just to make sure you mother is safe." I whisper, squeezing his hand and tugging him closer. He smiles and nods, moving closer and kissing me lightly on the lips. We had grown much more comfortable unless we were being the center of attention. Granted, we were in the Great Hall, but everyone's mind was more on food and those around them than the Chief playing lip lock with his betrothed.

"I like that idea." He whispers softly and adds with a smile. "If all checks out, maybe we give the Veilwing another visit." He adds and I smile as we pull apart slightly.

"That sounds like a great idea. Pack enough provisions for a day or two, let Gobber handle everything, Fishlegs organizes the Academy." I add and he smiles.

"And hope the twins don't cause an avalanche ontop of Berk." He playfully teases as we both glance down the table at the twins viciously eating some mutton.

"And hope that Snotlout doesn't irritate Hookfang enough that he sets the town on fire." I tease back as Hiccup laughs lightly. We glance down the table and see Snotlout eating, or trying too, as Hookfang keeps stealing his food.

"All plausible. Eh, they'll be fine. The Edge survived, after all." Hiccup answers with a smile and I nod along, leaning against his chest as I gaze out over the sea of vikings now eating and laughing loudly with each other.

"Plus, Gobber and Fishlegs, and the other hundreds of Vikings, we'll be sure that the place won't fall apart. We should tell Gobber where we are going though, and Fishlegs, probably." I suggest and he nods as we hear Fishlegs voice suddenly spark and make us jump.

"Tell Fishlegs what?" Fishlegs ask as we jump and Hiccup scowls.

"I told you not to do that." Hicucp groans and he smiles sheepishly as he nods.

"Sorry. What though?" Fishlegs asks

"Astrid and I will be hunting down my mother after this storm. We're going alone as we're the fastest and can cover more ground. I want you to take over the Rider's while we're gone. You and Gobber will maintain the village." Hiccup explains and I can see the utter delight that crosses Fishlegs face. He hadn't really been in charge of anything since the twins and Snotlout used up the whole stockpile of Nightmare Gel.

"You can count on me. You won't be disappointed." Fishlegs exclaims proudly as Hiccup extends his hand and puts it on Fishlegs shoulder.

"I have no doubt, I trust you. You'll be fine." Hiccup adds and it made me smile watching those two. They were real friends, and they each valued each other's opinion of the other. Fishlegs especially was so downtrodden when Hiccup was disappointed the last time. I'm not sure Fishlegs ever got over it completely. They moved on, totally, but hearing someone you respect is disappointed in you is a major shock to one's confidence.

"I trust you too, Fishlegs." I add with a smile and he nods, taking both our hands.

"Thank you guys, it means a lot, believe me. Leaving after the food?" He asks and we both nod.

"I'll let Gobber know before we leave. Thank you, again." Hiccup adds and he nods.

Soon after that, we go back to eating and laughing at our table. The twins and Snotlout had been exchanging barbs for the better part of half an hour, much to everyone else's amusement. Snotlout was good, but the twins were almost unequalled in their random knowledge and witty retorts; it ended up being a partial roast of Snotlout that we got to enjoy. For once, it wasn't my fault.

After the food settled, we sought out Gobber who had already made his way back to the Forge. He wasn't a social animal like others were and preferred the company of Grump and the Forge. I couldn't really blame him, those times at the Great Hall were mentally taxing on my mind, but I was with Hiccup so it was always bearable. When we found him, he was hammering away at a new saddle order and greeted us without looking our way.

"Gobber, we're heading out to find my mother and Eret. You and Fishlegs will have the run of the village, as we're ice locked right now, there shouldn't be any major issues." Hiccup says and Gobber nods.

"Ye got it, Chief. Take care." Gobber says without question, he had grown so accustomed to just accepting the Chief's word with Stoick that he never questioned a thing.

After that, we both returned to the house and packed enough rations for a couple of days in water and food. A couple changes of under garments and our flight suits. I tied my Axe and Hiccup had Inferno and his shield rightly on Toothless's side. He was quiet and I noticed it.

As we finished setting our dragons up, I walked up to him and pushed him back against Toothless who only grunted slightly but stayed still as I pressed my lips to Hiccup's. Our tongues met and we stayed that way as his hands found my hips and mine draped his shoulders. When we finally parted, I smiled and nodded.

"We'll find her, Hiccup." I say softly and he smiles.

"With you, I believe anything is possible." He answers with a smile and he kisses me once more. We then hop on our dragons and take off, following the sail path that his mother was supposed to have taken.


	64. Hysteric Howl

We knew the path that Valka and Eret were on. First heading south towards the Hysterics Tribe, then westward for the Mongrel and Hymir Tribes. Following that, they would head north and connect with the Outcasts before returning home. Mala and Atali were both made aware of the summit and had sent their desire to attend; both would be bringing their seconds which meant we'd see Throk and Minden again. Minden had really grown into the role since the Battle for the King of Dragons, and any self-doubt she had before turned into a steel resolve. Dagur and Heather would both be in attendance as well as a couple representatives from the Meathead Tribe, it was the outliers that we needed to form an iron-clad pact with.

Several other tribes were gone completely, too small to play any major militant role to be included in the summit to determine the path against the Trappers, or too isolated. The Murderous Tribe had all but disbanded for and joined the Outcasts years ago, though their legacy followed with them. The Hysterics were outliers to be sure, then there was the Visithug Tribe which was also rumored to be violent but isolated. The Bog-Burglars were less of a tribe and more of an island of thieves we didn't really want to associate with, same goes for the Bashem Oiks and their slave trading. They may well be a center of discussion at the summit, to be fair.

All that said, Valka was supposed to send a terror mail after arriving to and leaving each island. By now, it had been almost two weeks, she should've been leaving the Hysterics on ship. If they ran into trouble, they knew to take off on their dragons, but to use the ship to travel to avoid appearing a threat. Hiccup and I were past that, and we knew flying into the Hysteric Lands on the backs of dragons may well be seen as aggressive. Neither of us cared, if they had harmed either Valka or Eret, or their dragons, it'd be an act of war.

The flight to Hysteria was quick on dragons that moved with a purpose, and we arrived around midday to quiet waters. Hysteria was a large, mostly cliff-riddled island with little access to sea level that was layered in white from the storm. That said, there were small coves with docks that traders had used to visit the island and Hysterics before. The Hysterics were something of an enigma in the Archipelago, with strange beliefs that bordered heretical or downright illogical. For one, they believe the world does not have an edge one can sail off of; which made them something of the laughing stock of the Archipelago. It's also rumored they issue judgement without logic and use a simple swing of an axe; a point of view I can relate with most days, to be honest.

Unfortunately, though, as we circle the island, we find no sign of a ship, let alone a ship with the Berk colors. This didn't exactly bode well with either Hiccup or myself, and as I glance over to him, I can see his face contort with worry as his mind must be running through countless thoughts. I had hoped we would simply run into them but as fate would have it, that was not the case. Now all I can do is pray to Thor that nothing bad has happened that would give us another cause for war or pain.

"Hiccup! I'm sure they're fine. Should we keep flying the route?" I ask, "I don't see any sign of ship traffic." I add as he shakes his head.

"Yeah, I know. But we could be flying for days along the path. As out of protocol as it is, we may as well land and see. I don't want to fly past them if they are in trouble and we just can't see them." Hiccup answers and I nod in agreement.

"You're right, let's check each stop until we find them. We can cover a few islands a day as long as we're careful." I respond with a weak smile. I could tell he was concerned, more concerned than he was letting on.

"Let's land there, we'll walk the path from their docks and see what happens. Hopefully, they don't take this as aggression. Keep your eyes peeled." Hiccup says after another circle around the island.

We swoop into the only cove with usable docks and land. Taking off our flight helmets and sashing our weapons and his shield, we start making our way up the long winding trail that leads up several hundred feet.

Hysteria was an island that had an ominous feel too it, with the Doomfang that lived in the sea near the cove and cliffs around the rest of the island, gaining access to the place was tricky at best. The trees were all wilted and in a perpetual state of disarray, much like those found on Outcast Island only these had leaves on them still, though them being covered in snow didn't help the ominous feel. The path from the docks was narrow and rocky, just barely enough room on the main path for a two-wheeled wagon at a rather steep incline. It was a high rising zigzag that took several minutes to climb, and once we reached the top, we were met with a shadowed treeline. We could see smoke from their main village beyond what could only be described as a dark, snowed and dead forest. As we walk, I found myself inching closer and closer to Hiccup before my hand eventually found his.

"Tell me again why we need to ally with these people? They don't have any ships of note, they don't ride dragons, they are brutal and violent. We would be better leaving them to their own devices." I mutter softly and he nods.

"All true; but the trappers operate on their waters so either they are enemies or in league. Also, they have a large tribe that could seriously augment any fight if they became our allies." Hiccup answers softly, his hand tightening around mine.

"I get that. They also have some strange beliefs and are brutal." I retort and he nods.

"We'll be fine. We've got Berk's greatest warrior and two of Berk's most amazing dragons here." Hiccup answers with a smile as I scoff, smiling.

"And the greatest leader Berk has ever seen." I reply as he laughs lightly and nods.

We're about a quarter of the way inside the forest and we can hear the sounds of beating drums in the distance near the firelight. Almost like war drums or something, echoing through the island as it reverberates through the ground. I feel my breath hitch as I find myself looking in the corner of my eyes at each possible shadow I see. Though it was still midday, the cloud cover over Hysteria seemed almost unnatural and gave the island a darker feel to it, it was much like Outcast Island in that regard, the two were peas in a pod.

Hiccup suddenly stops and before I can say anything, my ears perk as the drumming intensifies in the distance and inbetween the beats, we hear a bone-chilling howl that echoes through the forest. Following that, there is a chorus of howls that suddenly seem to be surrounding us, like we were being stalked and cornered. Toothless and Stormfly each come to either side of us and their tails meet as they encircle us.

"It's okay, bud, let's see what happens." Hiccup whispers as I grip the bottom of my axe that remains sashed on my back.

The howling intensifies and seems to be getting closer as the drumming seems to begin beating in tune with the howls. I hear the rush of footsteps and as I turn to look, nothing is there but I can see leaves rustling around. Another howl is almost deafening and sends a chill down my spine as I look ahead of us down the pathway.

Walking towards us is a man draped in what appears to be wolf's hide, holding a pair of large hatchets and hooded by what looks like the head of a wolf. As he gets closer, I see his body tense up as he howls directly at us and clangs the hatchets together. At that time, two more people flank him; one man and one woman, both draped in the same wolf's hide and wearing little else. They were remarkably fit and looked intense, gazing at us through what could only be described as warpaint. I glance around us and notice several were now visible and flanking us, the drumming beyond slowed to something akin of a heartbeat as the obvious leader stared us down. This would be when Hiccup would shine as a leader, for my first though was to throw my axe and take off.

*********************************

That wasn't quite the welcome I was expecting, but I suppose it was better than them coming at us with weapons, aiming for the kill. I counted at least twelve of these Hysterics surrounding us, various members around us making howling or barking guttural sounds as the three in the road approached us. They lived up to the reputation of seeming brutal and vicious, now was a matter of finding a common ground to communicate with them. I could feel Toothless's apprehension and noticed Astrid as she shifted her stance to a defensive one, she was ready to draw her axe. I lightly squeezed her hand before releasing it and stepped forward, exiting the circle formed by Toothless and Stormfly, approaching the trio ahead of us in the road. I felt Astrid try to pull me back before my hand slipped from her grasp, and I felt the same, I wasn't exactly fond of how this was looking either.

As I approached, I heard the others around us continue their grunts and taunts as the one in the center stepped forward as well. Pausing, I lowered both my shield and my sword to the ground and took another step forward. He did the same, throwing each hatchet which stuck to the ground and stepping past it. At least, so far, we seemed to have common ground. He was a sight to fear, to be sure. A build similar to that of Ryker only larger with a full beard and scarred skin. He looked like he had seen his fair share of fights and won them all; he was the alpha here. We stopped about six feet apart, and though I wasn't as tall as him, I was looking him in the eye.

"I am Chief Hiccup Haddock of the Hooligan Tribe of Berk. This is Astrid Hofferson, General of the Hooligan Tribe. We come in peace." I state and suddenly hear several of the Hysterics start to laugh amid their grunts as their leader seems to literally growl.

"Chief? So, the rumors of Stoick's death are true. I knew your father, boy." He growls, crossing his arms. "You may call me Silver Claw. Why do you come to my island, Hooligans? On Dragons?" He asks gruffly, stepping closer as both of the two behind him inch closer as well. I can see the man is watching me like a hawk with a bow in hand, and the woman has her eyes locked in on Astrid; as if they expect us to move against them.

"We come in search of my mother." I answer honestly and am glad to say that the leader seems visibly taken aback by the statement. He looks me up and down and I notice the woman behind him had shifted her gaze to me. "She set sail to meet with you, to extend an invitation for us to be allies against the Trappers that plague our waters. She is overdue and I fear for her safety." I explain as the leader narrows his eyes. I see them shift to Astrid and back to me.

"And you think we are to blame." He finishes coldly and I quickly shake my head.

"Not at all, Silver Claw. I now fear the storm may have blown her off course and for some reason, she isn't able to make it back." I explain and his posture remains still as he judges me. "I don't know if you have any stake in the trappers or their activities off your shore, and I don't presume to know your allegiance. But should you consider them an enemy, we can be great allies to one another. If they are your allies, or you want no part, that is understood; and we hope to leave in peace." I finish as I hear the grunts of the ones surrounding us pick up. Like animals almost, they grunt and bark as if taunting us or trying to provoke something before the one called Silver Claw snaps a guttural growl that almost made me jump that silences them all.

"You are the first outsider we have seen in many months. Your mother has not been here." He explains matter-of-factly and turns his head, looking to the woman behind him who only nods. I see his face twitch with annoyance as he turns back to me. "You will follow me. All of you." He states and turns his back to me, walking away and picking up his hatchets. I do the same and retrieve my equipment before returning to Astrid. The trio then leads us down the path as we remain flanked and followed by three on either side of us with their weapons drawn.

"Are you sure about this, Hiccup?" Astrid asks softly besides me as we walk, and I shake my head.

"Not really, no. We didn't get attacked; we were essentially invited. We have to play situations like this carefully." I answer softly and she nods.

"What about your mother and Eret?" She asks

"Assuming they are being honest, they didn't make it here, which likely means they are shipwrecked and possibly hurt somewhere along the way. Once we leave here, we search the surrounding islands." I answer softly and she nods along.

"I hope you're right, Hiccup." She says softly and I nod.

"Me too." I answer.

We are led to the Hysteric Village, where the drumming has never ceased and only gotten louder since our approach. The people of the tribe were almost all draped in animal hide or fur, and there was an obvious difference between their warriors and their commoners; with all the warriors wearing wolf's hide. The drums that we had been hearing were impressive, a pair of them, each the size of a small house with a pair of Hysterics on each.

We followed to what must've been one of their great meeting places, where we saw a large wooden throne carved like that of a wolf, surrounded by three smaller thrones on either side. Four of them were already occupied, and the other three, including the large one, were soon occupied by the trio that led us into town. A large, ornate and blood-stained axe sat at the foot of the large throne and powerful plates of fire lit the large chamber. Their leader, Silver Claw, crossed one leg and leaned down, looking at us as the others on the chairs remained terrifyingly quiet. We could hear yips and howls from those around that were watching.

"Hooligan. Tell me more about your reason for being here." Silver Claw states as I nod, I feel Astrid reach for my hand but withdraw it as I step forward.

"To create an alliance. My mother, Valka, made it her mission to travel to various tribes around the Archipelago to extend the offer in person. We wish to hold the Summit of Chiefs again to address the problem of the trappers. There has not been a summit of this nature since Drago Bludvist, who was slain when he attacked Berk several months ago. His former lieutenants now control his fractured army and continue their efforts to weaponize dragons as tools of war." I explain as Silver Claw leans back and glances around him at the others.

"Much like you Hooligans do. With your two warbeasts you bring here today." He states.

"These dragons are our allies, our friends. As are all the dragons that occupy Berk, we have found a way to coexist peacefully, and we wish the same for our neighbors. The trappers seek to own and dominate and have no regards for borders or loyalty." I explain and he seems to think. He glances to his right, towards the woman that was with him. Her eyes seemed to be staring me down.

"What say you, White Fang?" He asks her as she doesn't take her eyes off me. I meet her gaze confidently and see her scowl as it dissipates to a slight nod.

"I think this one speaks truthfully. You there. Hofferson Hooligan. Do you have words to add?" The woman called White Fang asks Astrid as I glance to her. I can see that Astrid was caught slightly off guard but nods, stepping forward.

"My Chief speaks true. We come seeking allies, and we search for his mother. If you are open to an alliance, we would ask both you and Silver Claw to attend the summit as our equals. Representatives of several of tribes have already confirmed their attendance. If you are not, we ask that we be allowed to leave in peace so we might find his mother as the storm may have sent her awry." Astrid says confidently and I smile listening to her. I turn back to them and nod in agreement as White Fang's gaze turns back towards me. She then looks towards Silver Claw and nods again, he simply grunts.

"Hooligans." Silver Claw states, standing. "We accept the invitation to your summit. Our eyes watched you defend the Doomfang from our shores from these Trappers. Such cowardice has no place in our waters. When?" Silver Claw asks as I sigh a breath of relief, that was easier than I expected.

"One week after the Winter Solstice to be held on uninhabited island of neutral ground. Two will be permitted per tribe. Each tribe will be asked to bring an offering to be made to Thor before we begin." I explain, "If you have a map, I will point out the island." I add as White Fang gets up and nods, walking me over to a nearby table. I point out the island and she nods, glancing back to Silver Claw who closes his eyes and nods.

"Go to Danger Brute Dungeons; our eyes also saw a ship sail there during a vicious water spout. Possibly your mother. May Freya guide your way." White Fang says with a nod of her head as I nod and rush to Astrid and Toothless. We quickly take off again before anything else, though we hear the resuming sound of drums in the distance coupled with hefty howls. That was an experience, but not a bad one. Now we had a lead on where my mother may be, and if she and Eret had dodged a water spout on a boat, they may well need help and possibly be injured.


	65. Danger Brute Dungeons

We now had a destination given to us freely by a tribe that was genuinely intimidating. I do not think I have ever actually been intimidated in such a way as I was by the Hysterics. They wore the pelt of wolves, war pair resembling splashes of blood and carried impressive weapons. They had war drums that seemed to beat like the heart beat of Mother Nature herself and they howled as though they were animals. They lived their animal side, and I had never heard the Hysteric Howl before, but it lived up to the reputation. I couldn't count the size of their village from what little we had seen, but the Hall we were in was meant to house hundreds comfortably. If they truly became allies, if the rumors about their utter savagery and kill first, ask questions later attitude had been nothing more than propaganda; they may well be a powerful ally we could have.

The flight to the island known as the Murder Dungeons was short from Hysteria and it is one of the most southern islands in the Archipelago before the endless sea. No one remembers who the Danger Brutes were, or why the island was named as such; we've been there before. It was little more than a wild landscape with varying, though common dragon species. We've never seen any signs of anything special about this island, no caves, no ruins, not even the slightest inkling a former tribe ever inhabited the place. If they had washed up ashore there, then they were likely injured or something, as nothing else made sense as to why they couldn't have returned to Berk for help.

"Hiccup, we'll find them!" Astrid's voice breaks me from my train of thought as I nod, glancing at her, but say nothing as she flies closer. "We will." She restates and I nod, forcing a smile. I had lost my father not half a year ago, I was forced to draw the blood of another man. I honestly couldn't wait for this year to be over and to look to the new year after the solstice with new beginnings and a better future.

"I know." I answer under my breath, unsure if she could even hear me as the Murder Dungeons was now ahead of us. It too was littered with snowfall and I could already see various wild dragons roaming. There was a pack of Nadders off to the north western side that was flying into a nest, though we were coming from the Northeastern side.

Astrid then dives ahead of me and points out a beach area where there was a horribly damaged ship that had ran ashore. Neither of us wasted any time and we dived towards the ship. It flew the Berk colors and had severe damage, burn marks as well as a shattered hull. The mast was nearly in splinters. As we dove in closer, I saw movement in the shadows and couldn't stop myself as I tugged Toothless inside the hull.

"Mom!" I called out as we ran in, only to be met with darkness before a torch was lit in the corner and Eret stood there. He seemed wounded, his arm was sashed with a bloodied piece of cloth and he had a sword that he had dropped when he recognized me.

"By the gods, Hiccup. Thank Thor!" Eret exclaims and rushes me, lifting me off Toothless in a rib-shattering hug as Astrid walks in with Stormfly behind her. "And Astrid! I'm very grateful to see you both!" Eret exclaims with visible signs of relief as I nod.

"You too, where is my mother?" I ask and his face contorts as he winces and nods.

"We ran into a problem on our journey. On our way to Hysteria, we were chased by Trappers into a Water Spout that battered and blew our ship past Hysteria and here. We were so jarred, the dragons were below deck and they got knocked around bad. Valka was up top and a plank nearly ripped her leg off. She's in a nearby cave, we found one. We were chased when we landed. The Trappers, they took our dragons. I've been trying to ferry supplies, she's not in good shape." Eret rambles on, he was shaken, I could tell.

"Woah, woah. Eret. Take us to my mother. We have some basic supplies, and we'll get your dragons back." I state and he takes a breath and nods.

"Okay, sorry. We've been shipwrecked for about three days, the waterspout hit us a day before the snow. Most of the food we had was lost." Eret says as he leads us out of the ship and jumps on Toothless's back.

Directing me, we do a quick hop to a nearby cave that seems newer, possibly made by a dragon. There was firelight coming from within and as we dove inside, I see my mother laying out on a plank-built bed and a splint on her right leg.

"Mom!" I call out as she turns her head and tries to sit up, smiling.

"Hiccup!" She returns, and I land Toothless and rush over to her hugging her.

"We have food, some basic medicine. We'll fly you back to Berk in no time." I state, looking to Astrid who nods, smiling. My mother, however, shakes her head, pulling back.

"No, they have Cloudjumper and Skullcrusher. The trappers, they ambushed us after we shipwrecked and took our dragons while we were injured. Eret got hurt trying to save them but ultimately there were too many of them." My mother explains as I glance to Eret who nods.

"Aye, the snowfall that followed grounded them too, though with that lifting, they'll soon be able to leave by ship again. The ice plates are keeping them on these shores, due west." Eret explains.

"Alright, here." I begin, taking my satchel from Toothless's side and giving it to Eret. "This has my rations and food. Astrid, stay here with them, keep an eye out. I'm going to go recon their ships." I ask, much to Astrid's immediate refusal.

"No way, Hiccup, I'm not letting you go out there alone." Astrid states as I walk towards her and put my hand on her shoulder.

"Astrid, please. It's just recon, I'll come back for you so we can get the dragons back, together." I respond, looking her softly in the eyes. I hadn't said it, but I needed to know my mother was safe. I trusted Eret, yes, but I trusted Astrid and Stormfly more, especially since they were both wounded. Astrid understood and nodded, she reached up to my cheek and pulled me in for a kiss. Parting, she smiled.

"Promise me you'll come back to me before you attack them." She whispers softly and I nod, smiling.

"I promise." I answer her and she sighs, nodding. We part and I hop on Toothless and glance back at my mother and Eret, then to her as she smiles weakly.

"Be safe, and careful." She adds and I nod, taking off down the cave to its mouth and outside.

I dart out on Toothless and we stay low to the ground. Had I not promised Astrid like that, I would be going with a vengeance. I felt angry, I felt a rage. They had attacked my mother and Eret mercilessly, driven them to a dangerous waterspout and stolen their dragons. These trappers were no better, and in fact, worse than the Hunters. The hunters sold them for money, the trappers were weaponizing them for war. Hugging Toothless to increase our aerial maneuverability as he darts low while we head northwest, I gaze down at this beautiful dragon beneath me and think to the dragons that had already been taken or slain. So much lost life, so much of nature polluted due to human greed and lust for power. Without remorse, without a care for their neighbors, for women or children or their fellows.

I felt the burning rage inside me as all I could think about was burning their ships to the ground, trapping the trappers on an island full of wild dragons. Letting nature run its course when they have no supplies. Letting them die. Each blink as I rode was an image of a first-person view of Toothless's full powered blast as it erupts from his mouth and explodes on the side of one of their ships. Breaching their hull, shattering their deck and freeing the dragons. My fists tightened and clenched around the saddle as I squinted away. This wasn't me, this couldn't be. I wasn't a man driven by revenge or anger; that was never the answer. No, I had promised Astrid, and that's one thing I would never break. Being a Chief, making challenging decisions would change me, they'd make me grow. But Astrid, Astrid would ground me and keep me true.

*********************************

I felt a pang of concern when Hiccup took off, as though he was hiding more than his concern but also his guilt and his anger. He couldn't hide it from me, I could see it all too well. Like when he hunted Viggo after setting up Heather; or when we hunted Krogan and his flyers for what they did to Vanaheim. Those moments where he became briefly engulfed in rage, they quickly died down and his true side would reappear. A part of me was concerned, with his ending of Krogan, that the side that was more like Stoick the Vindictive would take hold. I knew that Hiccup Haddock the Stalwart, Hiccup the Honorable; the one who always aimed for peace, I knew he would never lose.

"Astrid?" Valka's voice jars me from my train of thought and I glance over to her and nod, smiling as I take some of the medicine from the pouch and apply it to her leg.

"Gothi had given us all some provisional herbs, this should help tide you over." I explain with a smile and she nods.

"How'd you find us, anyways?" Eret asks, sitting next to me and Valka while frying up the fish we had brought and taking a drink of water. I laugh lightly and sigh.

"Funny story, the Hysterics actually pointed us this way." I begin and hear Eret choke on the water.

"Ah-hem, what?" Eret asks as Valka narrows her eyes.

"Do tell?" Valka asks and I nod. I recount the meeting, the bone shivering howl that echoed through the trees, the drums. Their leader, Silver Claw and his followers. How they seemed to communicate as though they were animals, carrying weapons and wearing wolf hide, layered in war paint. I recount White Fang and the others I had seen, how they accepted our invitation and then told us about you. How they saw us protect the Doomfang.

"Incredible. Sounds terrifying, to be honest." Valka admits.

"Yeah, it certainly was intimidating. I was worried we'd need to fight our way out. They had us dead to rights though, I couldn't even count how many there were but it was a larger tribe than ours, or so it seemed." I add and Eret shrugs.

"Well, the important thing is they agreed to the summit, so we can skip them on our trip." Valka says and I shake my head.

"No, no, no. I seriously doubt Hiccup will be okay with that. You both need time to mend, he may well fly to each island himself. With me, of course." I explain and both Eret and Valka smile.

"We, as in the people of Berk, are lucky to have you both." Valka admits and I blush, looking away sheepishly as Eret puts his hand on my shoulder and laughs.

"Don't fret, Astrid. Just so you know, when you two finally do wed, you'll be the most respected Chief and Chieftess in the Archipelago." Eret adds as I scoff, shaking my head and moving away.

"Yeah, thanks." I mutter awkwardly. I still wasn't a fan of talking about the whole marriage thing. We knew we would be married, but the fact that everyone kept pushing it, like they were planning out our future for us… it both irritated me and made me feel uneasy. Luckily, the awkwardness was short lived as I heard the powerful wings of Toothless as Hiccup returned. Without even thinking, I rush to his side as he jumps off Toothless and hug him. It was almost instinctive. "How-how was it?" I stumble my words and refuse to look back at Eret and Valka who must be beaming.

"Well, there are three ships. All anchored, several dinghies on shore with what seems to be most of their crew in tents or around campfires. No cages: any dragons must be below deck. Two of the ships have scorch marks, which means that we should check the third one first. The undamaged one is probably holding the dragons. They seem unaware of us; I figure you and I can hit them hard and fast and free those dragons before they can react." Hiccup explains, looking right at me and smiling, holding my hands to his chest. He glances to Eret and Valka. "You two will stay here, no arguments. We'll be back soon, then we'll return to Berk." He states and when I glance behind me, I see them nod and Valka has a smile on her face, one befitting a mother who has full confidence in her son.

"Let's go." I say softly and he nods. We don't wait, we hop on our dragons and fly out, darting up towards the sky then back down low to the ground so we can move swiftly without being seen. Trappers were used to looking up, they weren't used to looking at eye level for a threat.

We had peeled off of the land and were skirting the water as we flew towards them. I was pushing Stormfly as fast as she could go to keep up with Toothless. We were both low, hugging our dragons and as we rounded the next cliff face, I saw the three anchored ships. Hiccup and I didn't need a battle plan for this, we didn't need to talk it out. We had spent so much time together, we knew each other more deeply than most could imagine. We knew how each other fought, how we cried and how we loved. This would be no different. Hiccup was no fighter, but he was the most shrewd warrior when fighting for what he loved. Skullcrusher was the last line to his father, Cloudjumper was his mother's dragon. Eret and Valka both injured; he had plenty he loved to fight for.

There were people on the decks, but they were not prepared for the utter speed and ferocity in which we begun our attack. In unison, we laid to waste the attachments on the main decks on our first sweep. It seems that even our dragons were fighting with renewed vigor against this tireless enemy; and dozens of trappers jumped into the sea to avoid the flames.

On our second circle, we landed and breached the hold on the third ship that was previously undamaged. Hiccup, as most times, was right. There was more than just Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper here, there was also a Razorwhip, Nightmare and Nadder that were all imprisoned. There were six cages; and the sixth cage held another dragon, one that was unresponsive. The trappers had either let it die, or killed it; a Gronkle. One of the sweetest dragons that existed, snuffed from life thanks to merciless trappers. I glanced at Hiccup and saw a tear escape his helmet as he clenched his fist and turned away. Hiccup nodded to me and then to the Gronkle and I nodded quietly and then had Stormfly take the the deceased into her talons so we could properly bury it. No dragon left behind, living or dead. We quickly flew to the other two ships and and Hiccup searched them while I circled, he found more cages but they were empty, thankfully.

We then led the dragons out and then, as we were flying up, Hiccup dove back down and fired another volley at the three ships. Straight into the hull that breached all the way to the water and soon, they were taking on water and starting to sink.

The Razorwhip, Nadder and Nightmare all flew to the beach and fired volleys at the tents before breaking off. The Nadder and Nightmare were probably returning to their flock, and the Razorwhip, well, who knew. Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper followed us back to the cave.

"Hiccup, what about the other trappers?" I ask and for a long moment, he doesn't answer. I can finally see him shake his head and sigh.

"We should come back and transport them to Berserker Island or Outcast Island, somewhere where they like having prisoners." Hiccup answers finally, though I could tell it was strained. He didn't hurt any of the trappers, not directly, but he did strand them on an island with wild dragons and little to no provisions. He was wrestling with that abrupt decision; it was almost vindictive in a reaction to the sight of the Gronkle. I only nod and I land at the mouth of the cave as Cloudjumper and Skullcrusher fly in. Stormfly gently lays the Gronkle on near the entrance as Toothless lands next to me and looks up concerned at Hiccup as I nod, patting Toothless on the side and walking over to Hiccup.

His back is to me as he dismounts and I wrap my arms around his chest, pressing my body to his and holding him tightly. "We'll make it through this, and we'll save every dragon we can." I say softly and I feel him nod as his hands hold mine.

"I-I'm sorry." He whispers and I shake my head. He rotates and I take off his helmet, I can see his eyes are red as though he had been fighting tears. Mine were almost no better, as the sight of a dead dragon no matter what happened was heart wrenching.

"Don't apologize. You saved how many dragons by sinking those ships. You did the right thing." I whisper, leaning up and kissing him. He returns the kiss and I feel his hot breath as he sighs.

"It didn't feel right." He mutters and I nod.

"The right choice isn't always the easiest. We'll come back and get them taken to Berserker Island, let Dagur treat them to Berserker Hospitality. In the mean time, we'll give him a proper burial and then..." I pause and he nods.

"Get my mom and Eret back to Berk. We can talk more about our next action then." He says and I nod, pulling away and I feel his hand stop me. As I turn back, I see him smile. "Astrid, I love you." He says confidently and I nod, smiling.

"I love you." I respond, returning to his arms and kissing him again. Together, while Eret collects their gear and loads the dragons with everything they can carry, Hiccup and I create a deep hole with our dragons then lower the Gronkle inside so it can rest in peace.

We load up Valka and Eret on their dragons and then make our way back to Berk. It takes a couple hours, flying slow due the injury, but we get there in due time and soon enough, Valka and Eret are both with Gothi who reassured us they would both be fine. Now, we return home to rest. Hiccup needed it, I needed it; we needed it, together.


	66. Reflection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

After the freeze, the village was already starting to pick back up its steam even with the ice plates blocking us in for a while. The air was still cold, and most were wearing their fur coats while working outside unless they were smith working. After a freeze, it was all about damage control. In the past, we had to rely on ourselves to clear the snow and reopen the village. Now, with the dragons, it happened in a single day. There was a common saying that we used, one that was instinctive among our people; many hands make light work. It really rung with us, the sense of community was an important thing in our culture.

When the entire town pitches in to help get everything back up, it makes the individuals job much less challenging and more rewarding. It also meant that when the day ended, no one was so exhausted they felt drained. No single person felt isolated, every individual helped each other when they're own work was done. That's why we often ate as a village in the town hall. Every night there was a gathering at the town hall with food and mead, laughter and stories.

Gobber had really stepped in to help Hiccup by being his stand-in as Hiccup was so constantly torn between his duties as a Chief and his responsibility leading the Riders against the trappers and securing the island. Officially, he was the Chief, and I was the leader of the riders as his General. That said, he was always with the riders, and still lead us in battles against the trappers, not that it bothered me. We were not in a peace time, not really, we were in a war time even if that war rarely made its way to Berk's shores.

Hiccup had a way of seeing things that was so out of step with everyone around him, he just viewed the world differently, though not badly, he could often see solutions I never dreamed of. I had the tactical mind, the warrior's mind whereas he looked more at the larger picture, it was innate. Together, we were an unequaled match, and I was just fine with how things were. I knew he never doubted my ability to lead nor did his confidence or faith in me ever wane.

That said, his faith and confidence in himself was constantly tested, ever since we first left Berk to go to the Edge. Even though most of his actions led to our victories, even through his failures that turned into successes. Every enemy he had faced was not a match for his worst enemy overall, himself. He had constantly judged himself against being the man he was supposed to be and being who he was. As with all viking children, you wish to live up to the legacy of you family and surpass it; to bring honor to it. When he was born as a hiccup, the runt of the entire village, when his entire younger childhood was riddled with ridicule and failure; even the most triumphant success can have a sour aftertaste. I'd like to say he had grown away from all those internal struggles, since he had shot down Toothless, it had all changed. He knows he has done his family and his tribe proud, that he has done me proud.

Since returning with Valka and Eret, and after touching bases with Gobber and sending a Terror mail to Dagur and Heather, we had retired to our house where we sat before a fire pit under a blanket, meat besides us and yakchops picked clean. This had become something of a daily ritual with us, sitting before the fire, holding each other and just being together. It was a place I think he felt truly safe and at peace, a place he could talk softly with words only meant for me. I am growing increasingly fond of these moments that we spend together like this. We would often find our way to the Great Hall to just enjoy the presence of the people, but those moments were becoming scarce as Hiccup wrestled with the proper path on how to deal with the trappers.

I felt his arms tighten around my waist beneath the blanket as he kissed my bare shoulder softly and sighed, his warm breath flowing across my skin as I smile and lean my head back on his shoulder. My own hands tightening around his as I close my eyes and just sit there in silence with him. He was still struggling with his decision to sink their boats. There was more to it than just that simple act, something he was wrestling with internally. Unfortunately for him, he was obligated to tell me, and I had ways of encouraging him to talk.

"Hiccup, what's on your mind?" I ask softly, turning my head over and looking at the side of his face as his lips haven't really left where they kissed last and are instead just hovering. He closes his eyes and I feel the air escape his nostrils.

"I shouldn't have sunk those ships." He mutters against my skin. I smile softly as he speaks while studying the features of his face. It's a face I had memorized in recent years, a face of a sensitive and caring man.

"You did the right thing, how many dragons do you think you saved by doing that, how many cages got sunk. They were going to leave, we know what they would have done, what they were doing. You protected the Archipelago as a whole by sinking those three ships. And we gave the Gronkle a brief, but real burial." I state and he just shakes his head.

"That wasn't why I did it though, Astrid. I just remember feeling… anger. Can you imagine if Fishlegs had seen that Gronkle, how he would have felt? In that moment, I remembered the words of my father and revenge. I remember him talking to me during the longest day, when I had wanted to hunt Viggo down after the incident with the Submariper." Hiccup responds, pressing the bridge between his nose and lips to my shoulder. He was conflicted

"Anger is understandable." I say softly.

"Not when it's the root; in that moment, it wasn't a decision to save future dragons, it was a choice to condemn them on an island of wild dragons. It was an act of revenge, of retribution." He says softly, almost as though he was condemning it.

"What did your father tell you?" I ask, not having heard as that was a weird day for all of us.

"That revenge isn't the answer; but then not half a year later, he told me Revenge can go down like a treat as he tried to strangle Viggo when we found him in his bunker. It was conflicting messages." Hiccup answers, shaking his head. "I know revenge isn't the answer, I know it isn't right, that we are better than that. In that moment though, sinking those ships, it felt good. It felt good to know they were sunk, that those ships wouldn't hurt anyone else, that those trappers were trapped." Hiccup finishes and I nod, cupping his cheek and turning his head so I can kiss him lightly on the lips.

"Hiccup, revenge isn't always about punishing those who deserve it. Like you just said, it can be a deterrence. By showing that such actions result in consequences, it can deter them in the future. Isn't that the whole point of our preemptive strikes on the trappers, freeing the dragons they capture? To show them that their actions have consequences." I explain softly, pressing my forehead to his and lightly pecking his lips again as his eyes remained shut. "Hey, look at me." I state and his eyes open as he smiles lightly.

"I'll never understand where you come up with some of this stuff, but I appreciate it. I appreciate you more than I can ever begin to repay." Hiccup says softly with a smile and I nod, smiling and kissing him once again.

"Consider it repaid." I answer against his lips. "You owe me nothing, well, except for your continued love and support and all that." I tease and he smiles slyly, I feel his hands shift around my waist as his fingers find the soft spots around my stomach and grip, making me squeal as he starts tickling me.

"And all that it is!" He says playfully as his legs lock around mine to try to control me as I can stop the forced smile and laughter from his tickling.

"Hiccup! Hiccup!" I exclaim amid several laughs as I writhe in on his lap, rolling and arching my back as he continues his ticklish assault. This is yet another way that only Hiccup could touch me, and this sort of torture was acceptable form him, I enjoyed it when he became bold like this, even if it ended with me overpowering him. After several moments of torturous tickles, I roll over and grab both of his hands and pin them to the back of the wooden chair above his head as I now straddle him. He smiles looking up at me.

"I guess I'm at your mercy now, milady." He says softly, looking up at me and smiling.

"I guess you are." I answer in a whisper as I lean down and kiss him on the lips. He'd done gotten me excited, now we'd both reap the benefits.

*********************************

It was still daylight outside, not that one could tell from within the house amid the firelight. It may as well have been dawn, dusk or midnight, it didn't matter. The walls were thick, the house was warm, the outside was cold. There were a pair of mead cups that had been knocked to the ground with a bundle of hastily discarded clothing that were a top of besides those cups. I truly was at Astrid's mercy as she straddled on the large chair next to the fire pit.

She had since released my hands to remove her clothing and I had removed mine, though we were wearing little to begin with. My hands traced up her body and both of them found each of her breasts as I closed them around her breasts and squeezed softly, playing with her nipples in between my fingers as she moaned and grinded her hips down against me. Her hands propped her against my shoulders as she leaned in and bit at my lip before kissing me passionately. Our tongues finding each other's and layering one another, tasting each other and closing our lips together. I hadn't entered her yet, as she grinds her bare bottom against my exposed member, pressing it against my lower stomach and not letting it gain enough of a position to slide within her, on purpose. She had enjoyed teasing me in such a way and honestly, I did too.

We continued our dance of tongues as her grinding increased and she moaned inside my mouth, my hands continuing playing with her breasts. I briefly open my eyes and see hers roll back in pleasure as I feel both our breath hitch. We maintain the kiss as long as possible, breathing through our noses until we cannot anymore and part, low hefty panting escaping both of our lips as our faces flush together, she looks down at me with a longing smile.

"I do not know how you do this to me, Hiccup." She whispers, leaning in and kissing me briefly again before pulling back.

"What do I do to you?" I tease, leaning up and biting down on her lip before tugging and leaning back, prompting her to follow with another kiss and pressing down with her hips. Her lower wetness had already layered my member and groin with her, I could feel her slide as she grinded. The feeling, the scent, the heat was so potent I often lost myself within it. I hear her groan as she smiles and shakes her head. She looks down at our collective waists and I do as well, where I see her grinding against me.

"This." She whispers, then takes her hands over mine on her breasts and helps me squeeze her breasts and nipples, I can feel them becoming more erect as she moans. "And this." She whispers as I continue massaging them. "It's hard to explain." She adds softly and I smile, leaning up again and pressing my lips to hers as I speak.

"Then show me." I say softly against her lips and I feel her smile as she moans and nods. I feel her grinding come to a slow as she inches more forward on my stomach, pressing the tip of my member against her entrance. She slowly lifts her hips up and my member follows her in its hardening state as she bites her lip and sits back down on it, letting it slide fully inside of her slowly as we both moan together, our lips finding each other. We had become proficient in making each other feel good, at finding each other's most pleasurable points, ways for me to enter her without using our hands in various positions. We were growing beyond exploring each other to completely knowing each other, and it was something I loved. Sure, there were still things we'd explore together, we hadn't explored everything, and we would in time.

This was something each of us longed for because it was more than just sex, it was more than just pleasure; it was about being together. Astrid and I have done almost everything together for most of our teenage and adult life, yet it was never forced, and never did I once not want her around. We weren't toxic with each other like I had seen from other relationships. There were others that seemed forced or created based on family politics, arranged marriages. It was something that was being phased out of our culture as a whole. Like when Throk had come to try and take Ruffnut's hand in marriage, the modern viking woman commanded much more respect, and Astrid, my beloved, deserved much more than she ever asked for or received. I could only hope I could do her justice for all she had given me.

There was certainly lust and passion, longing and desire that filled our hearts and eyes when we gazed into each other during our time alone. Moments of pure lust when nothing else in the entire world mattered but the feeling of her body as it squeezed against my member, the sound of her voice as she moaned against my lips, her sweat and scent as our bodies moved. Watching her abs contract as she rocked her hips to mine, feeling her breasts tighten and her nipples become harder with each passing thrust.

We were both young, we were fit and lean from our years as Dragon Riders, training as warriors for the people of Berk had given us a certain vigor in the impassioned times of sex. There were limits to our bodies and we often pushed them to those limits together.

I run my hands down her body and back up to her breasts as she keeps hers on my shoulders, her hips rocking back and forth as I move mine up and down, making her body bob up and down as she grinds. My member filling every bit within her, hitting her every point. I felt her muscles contract around the tip of my member amid my thrusts, as if going to such a point that I could go no further. Each time, she let out a low moan as she leaned in and kissed me. Her warm, panting breath combining with mine as our lips lock and our tongues dance again.

We'd have our time to explore at a later time, but now, we were both more than content just staying like this. This was one area I was glad to have her dominate, her be in control, I absolutely loved it when she rode me like this. Our lips part as she presses her forehead to mine and one of her hands reaches behind my neck and cups it as she smiles, breathing heavily.

"I'm close." She whimpers softly, pecking my lips again as I smile, returning the peck and thrusting up again against her grinding. She nearly yelped as I felt her hips contract again and start to shake as her eyes rolled back. "Hiccup! Don't-stop. Ag-again." She murmurs softly as she grinds down more against me, her breath against my lips as I nod, kissing her lips again as my hands slide down to her hip. Helping to guide my thrusts, I thrust up again and again, each one earning another impassioned moan as she leans her head forward and presses her face into my shoulder, muffling her load moan as I keep going, her own grinding increasing as I feel her contracting again and again. The pressure I felt from within her was building to my own pressure as I felt ready to explode within her again.

"I'm close… too." I mutter and she kisses my neck as I feel myself about to explode.

"Do it." She whispers softly and I smile, my thrusting not slowly as I feel myself about to reach a climax and explode. I don't hold back and let go within her, filling her with my passion as she shudders and cries out in pleasure as she reaches her own climax nearly at the same time, as though mine had been the trigger. I can feel her muscles spasm and tighten around my member, her legs shake as her body shivers and she leans into me.

Our hips slow to a mere rock as her abs continue to contract as her hips move and shake, her face buried in my shoulder as her breathing is heavy and shaky. I wrap my arms around her back and hold her, feeling her back slick with sweat and kissing her neck, taking in her scent and closing my eyes. I truly loved how she smelled, especially after we were together like this, it was a difference scent, an alluring one.

We stayed like that for a long while, our bodies slowly relaxing before she slide off of me and just sat there with me for a moment. After those comfortable moments, we each got up together and walked to the bucket and helped each other wipe down before sitting back down together, still naked, still together and very content.

"We both needed that." She whispers softly as my hands had found their way back around her waist and her hands rested on mine as she leaned back into my chest, one of her legs draping over mine as her head rested on my shoulder.

"Anytime you need that, you let me know, milady." I tease, kissing her shoulder as she smiles softly and moans lightly, closing her eyes.

"Careful I don't take you up on that and we start taking risks." She teases.

"Like the Academy?" I ask playfully and she nods.

"Gods, that was so alluring, I felt so fevered. Definitely that." She answers softly and I smile, tracing her shoulder with my lips, kissing up her neck to her ear where I lightly bit her earlobe and smile.

"I'll take you anywhere you want, however you want, whenever you want." I state softly and I just hear her moan softly.

"Mmm, good to know." She answers.

We stayed like that for a few hours, honestly, until the day was nearly done and darkness began to fall. It was another day where I was on Berk that I wasn't sought out for remedial tasks, though I still felt obligated to make an appearance to the rest of the town. As dusk began to approach, I could feel Astrid's soft breaths as her chest rose slightly; we had fallen asleep like that for over an hour. Kissing her neck again, I feel her start to stir as she moves slightly.

"Mmm, what?" She whispers.

"Are you hungry? Want to go to the Great Hall for dinner tonight? Maybe take a dusklit flight around the island together then go to the Hall. Might be nice to make an appearance and check in with the people." I ask and she nods, turning her head and smiling before leaning in and kissing me.

"Sounds perfect, let's get dressed and head on over." She answers softly and smiles. Sitting up, she pauses and looks back at me and smiles. "Thank you." She says and I turn my head in confusion.

"For what?" I ask only to see her shake her head lightly with her smile never fading.

"Being you. Come on, let's go." She says and takes my hand, pulling me up. Together, we get dressed and head out on our dragons. The air was still cold, but our bodies and hearts were filled with nothing but warmth that'd stave off even the coldest of winters.


	67. All in Good Fun

The sun was setting on the horizon as dusk began to take over the island. A wave of increasingly cold wind swept through the air as the sun descended and the clouds overhead were thick and many, telling us we were in for a dark and cold night with little to no starlight. Still, riding in our dragon flight suits made the cutting wind more bearable and my body was still flowing with warmth form our time at the house. I can't help but think back to the time Hiccup and I were sleighing down a side of Berk after a particularly bad storm and right before another one when we were getting the animals accustomed to the dragons.

The avalanche, Stormfly and Toothless shielding us from the snow as it caved in on us. Hiccup and I finding our way to each other's arms in the darkness and cold; even then, I remember feeling a certain warmth. Something I couldn't or wouldn't admit to him then, something that has only grown and matured as we have. We weren't kids anymore, we were adults who had seen war and sacrifice, who have seen love and friendship. We had changed so much since then, but at the same time, hardly at all.

The very core of his being, the gentle soul who always argued for peace, the stalwart defender who never discredited his friends or allies and always stuck up for them. I can remember at least three different instances where Hiccup gave credit to the twins or Snotlout for giving him an idea that he said they came up with, without a passing thought. He never needed nor wanted the praise.

I had changed too, though stayed the same. I was still the warrior, the fighter; the one who'd leap to protect their friends and family and fight with an unwavering fury. Hiccup had changed me though, for the better, without ever trying or asking. He never asked me to change, I don't think he's even noticed how I have changed. Even when we were kids, he was who I sought after to protect; the one I never wanted to see hurt. Unless I caused it, that is. He showed me a new world, a new perspective, what love was really like. All of Snotlout's disgusting advances aside, Hiccup never once forced anything on me, never once implied nor made me feel uncomfortable. He let us develop naturally, up until the lightning strike.

I think, in that moment, he was more than worried, he was scared. Scared that he may be waiting too long, scared he'd never have the chance to tell me, on his own, how he felt. Scared that, by some act of Thor, I'd be taken away from him. I am pretty stubborn, and I've taken my share of risks, after all. I remember feeling the air around us change, even when I was blinded. I felt the warmth of his breath against the cold rainstorm that had scattered our dragons. In that moment, had Sleuther not been as ornery has it was being, he would have closed the gap completely. I'm glad we didn't have the time, because our first real kiss, one I didn't need to initiate as a simple peck on the lips, was before a gorgeous sunset after we had come through yet another challenge, together.

These memories I have are fond ones, they warm me even against the blistering cold of the elevated air. Hiccup and I had been flying together, circling the island and each other. Toothless and Stormfly flying nearly belly to belly as we spiral up before spiraling away. The rush of the wind, the feeling of the dragon's powerful wings beneath me as Stormfly carried both of us in the air effortlessly, as she flew seamlessly with Toothless. No cold would ever ice over how I felt when with Hiccup, especially like this, on the backs of our dragons, flying against the cold air together. I was wearing my helmet too, fitted with the Deathsong amber to protect the eyes; I could live up here like this.

Eventually, we leveled out and flew side by side, our dragons circling high as the sun begins to fully disappear beyond the horizon. The darkness begins to descend with the sun and soon, I can't even see outside the waters of Berk, nor into the forests. What I could see was the light filtering from the Great Hall as shadows moved back and forth past the threshold of the doors. I glance to Hiccup and point it out as he nods.

"Guess it's that time, huh?" He asks against the wind, his voice slightly muffled from his helmet.

"I could stay up here forever with you, but you wanted to make an appearance, right?" I answer teasingly as he nods.

"That I did! Besides, after a while there, I've got some better ideas for us to do alone than be chilled to the bone up here. It's going to be a cold night, even Toothless is unhappy about it." Hiccup responds as I bite my lip, smiling beneath my helmet. Of course, he couldn't see it, but that didn't matter.

"I'd love to hear those ideas later. Come on." I respond and dive towards the Great Hall with Toothless close behind me. We land on the steps to the great hall and are immediately greeted by several passerby on their way up, and one on their way down, Sven.

"Oh, hi! Chief! There be singing, dancin' nd music in the Hall tonight, you should go in; ye may like what they be singing about." Sven says as he rushes down.

"Hey, Sven, where are you going?" Hiccup calls back as Sven shrugs with an awkward smile.

"I need to put the lil' ones in the barn n grab me mug! I'll be back." Sven answers and leaves, talking about his sheep, of course.

"I hope he doesn't bring a sheep to dance with." Hiccup mutters as I laugh and shake my head.

"He probably will." I answer with another light chuckle as I take Hiccup's hand and we walk up together, following Magnus and Agnar who were already on their way up. The sound of music is echoing this close and it was the unmistakable sound of Gobber and his panpipes. As we get closer, we can see that easily half the town is inside the Great Hall, with most of the riders on one side and surrounded by a great many other Vikings. As we get closer, we can see that they were playing Maces and Talons, and it was currently Snotlout versus Fishlegs.

"OI! The Chief O'Berk!" Gobber calls out from his place near the center of the hall before resuming his panpiping. There was a roaring cheer from many who were seated in their varying groups before they went back to their conversations and food or drink. We heard Fishleg's call to us.

"Hiccup! Astrid! Over Here!" Fishlegs' voice barely carried over the sounds of the other conversations or panpiping, but we made our way over and the riders made room for us to get to the front.

"How goes the game, Fishlegs?" Hiccup asks as he seems giddy.

"Oh, so well. Well, not for Snotlout. He has to beat me or his dad threatened to disown him and replace him in our team so he'd have to answer to Gustov." Fishlegs jests as Snotlout groans.

"Shut it, Fishface. Besides, my dad wouldn't do that. He was trying to motivate me and scare you. Plus, my dad can't kick me off the team…" Snotlout adds, glancing to Hiccup and me with a briefly worried look. "Can he?" He asks cautiously as we both laugh.

"Nope, that pleasure is mine." Hiccup retorts as Snotlout laughs in agreement then has a confused look on his face as he realizes what Hiccup actually said. "Or Astrid's, she technically could if she wanted." Hiccup adds, smiling and glancing towards me as I grin, narrowing my eyes at Snotlout.

"Astrid. You know I'm sorry for being a muttonhead right, and that you need me on the team, right?" Snotlout asks as I shrug with a smile.

"Oh, I don't know. Do we, I mean, if you can't win at Maces and Talons…" I tease, lingering the words as he groans.

"Alright! That's It! It's on, Fishface. I'm taking you down." Snotlout exclaims as we all laugh, Spitelout standing up besides him and moving to us with a cheeky grin.

"Oh, and uh, I wasn't joking." Spitelout says with a shrug, passing us all as Snotlout glances at him. "Alright, time for more mead. I expect to come back to a victory, son!" Spitelout says as he heads to the mead crate, prompting more laughter as Snotlout makes his next move. Much to Fishlegs chagrin, he actually turns the tables on him, and it is now a real battle of wits. Hiccup and I stand and watch, and I slowly find myself leaning against his side and taking his arm as we do, not caring one way or another.

*********************************

The night continued on with a lot of fun, the match between Snotlout and Fishlegs had grown ever bolder as now there were wagers being passed around the Riders considering that Fishlegs victory was no longer a certainty. The twins, in specific, were manipulative masters at this and circling the players like hawks waiting to pick them apart.

"You know, I say we make this game even better. Whoever loses gets bumped from the Riders and Gustov joins us." Tuffnut adds as Ruffnut shakes her head.

"Gotta disagree with you, brocano. Part of the punishment is Gustov being in charge of them. He's gotta stay on the other team. How about, instead, the loser has to clean Gustov's dragon pen for a month." Ruffnut adds.

"A year, sisternut. Gotta make it truly a torment. Yo, G. Any thoughts?" Tuffnut says, turning to Gustov who shrugs with a grin.

"Nah, all good here, Tuffy. Either way it's a win-win for the ol' Gusterama." Gustov says as I hear Astrid groan while she leans against my shoulder.

"I swear, these nicknames were never cool." She sighs as I chuckle, my arm tightening around her shoulder.

"They're just having fun." I add softly as I hear Tuffnut interject.

"Not true, O' Chiefing One. This is a matter of war now, Who will win and retain the right to ride with the Chief of Berk. Surely, you only want the best riding by your side." Tuffnut adds.

"Uh, then wouldn't we boot you two?" Astrid retorts as I stifle a laugh and Tuffnut offers an exasperated groan as Ruffnut steps forward.

"Uh, one might think to do that, A. But fortunately, neither of the Nuts are on the chopping block tonight. It is between the Fish and the Snot." Ruffnut adds

"The Legs and the Lout." Tuffnut continues.

"The Brains and the Brawn." Ruffnut continues.

"The Serene and the Disturbed." Tuffnut continues.

"The—" Ruffnut tries to continue before Astrid cuts her off.

"Okay! We got it!" Astrid exclaims, her free hand palming her forehead as I can't help but laugh.

"Okay, okay. Then, Oh Chief of the Hooligan Tribe, what punishment must befall the loser of this most epic battle of Maces and Talons!?" Tuffnut asks in an expanding voice as I shrug.

"The loser takes night patrol." I add and hear almost all of them utter a shocked gasp.

"Woah, Chief Hiccup, coming in for the big smack down. Alright, you heard him. Get to losing, one of you. I need to know who we are tormenting during their night shift." Tuffnut exclaims, turning around as we continue watching the game. I can hear him and Ruffnut sinisterly laugh as they continue playing. I shake my head with a light smile and Astrid just sighs, leaning into me and watching.

After several more rounds and cries of defeat, Astrid and I had moved away from the game to find a seat and just people watch our own. We found Eret and Valka sitting near Gobber, my mother had a splint on her the whole time from Gothi, though Eret seemed fine. I'm glad to see my mother moving, and glad to have them both back safe and sound. I would probably handle the invitations myself, going forward. Not because I didn't trust either of them, but because I didn't want to see anyone else hurt. We ended up sitting with them and talking about their voyage, them getting blown off course, surviving in the cave without their dragons while injured. It made me trust Eret more, to know he defended both the dragons and my mother against his former fellows.

"So, with that said, I think I'll handle the invitations. Not that I doubt you two, but with you on the mend, it still needs to be done. I'll leave Astrid in charge of the Riders—" I begin before I feel her hand squeeze mine as she simply shakes her head.

"No way, Hiccup. Where you go, I go. Fishlegs can lead the riders efficiently, and Gobber has proven himself to be able to handle the daily routine of the town." Astrid challenges and I sigh, shaking my head and glancing to my mom.

"I'm not going to win this one, am I?" I ask sheepishly and my mom just shakes her head with a soft smile.

"Stoick never did with me. And Astrid here is stronger than I am, you'd be wise to heed her words." My mother teases knowingly and I just sigh and smile, glancing to Astird.

"Yeah, Chief. Heed your general's words." Astrid teases, softly knocking shoulders with me as I nod and shrug.

"More than my general, but yes. We'll set out the day after tomorrow, hopefully the ice plates melt by then." I state, smiling towards Astrid as her face softens and she nods, smiling in return.

We then sit back and enjoy Gobber's growing proficiency with music as well as a couple other people with a stringed Lyre and a string Rebec took to the stage with him. Not really a stage perse, just a cleared off table. They took turns and eventually combined their music with the beats of the Viking or Hooligan beats. I hadn't noticed until just then, but there were several vikings dancing on the floor to the music.

"So, about those ideas?" Astrid whispers in my ear as I smile knowingly and turn to look at her, pressing my forehead to hers.

"To start, how about a dance?" I ask as she blushes and shakes her head.

"I-I can't dance, you know that." She mutters and I shake my head.

"Nonsense. You move so fluidly in battle, and dancing is no different. We can just pretend we're sparring without weapons or throwing each other. I know you can dance with me." I answer confidently as she closes her eyes. I see her cheeks flush before she opens her eyes again and smiles, leaning in and pecking me on the lips briefly before nodding.

"Fine, lead the way, my love." She answers in a near teasing tone that had a hint of seriousness to it as I smile. Taking her hand, I nod to my mother and Eret as I glance to Gobber who makes eye contact with me as we walk past him. I nod to the dance floor and then to Astrid and I see his smile widen as he nods and clears his throat.

As we find our way to the area where others were dancing, I take Astrid's hands in mine as the new beat starts kicking into play. Gobber knew we were going to dance, and specifically changed the beat to match that of the song my father and mother shared together. I think Astrid caught on immediately as our eyes locked and a very loving smile creased her lips as she nodded slightly, and our feet began moving.

We had started out together at first, hands in hands until we parted briefly. She had struck with her hand, allowing me to take it in mine as I spun her around and released her. Taking my own hand and striking towards her, she seemed to move like a battle-hardened goddess beneath my strike, flowing behind me and wrapping her arms around my waist as I spun around and mine found their way around her shoulders. Staying there for a moment, I slinked my hand down as she brought hers up and they met, allowing me to wrap around her and spin her out of my hold to the full extension of our arms until I tugged her back and brought her back to me. My arms now wrapping around her chest as she was pressing her back to my chest. I felt her heartbeat increasing as she sighed lightly as the beat continued.

We were lost in each other's movements at that moment, moving and swaying together, occupying our own little corner of the area that was an impromptu dance floor. The beat finally ended as I brought her back to my arms and felt hers wrap around me as she rested her head to my chest and we both closed our eyes, breathing heavily from our movements. There was a sudden silence I noticed as the music faded followed by an unexpected cheer that literally did make me jump.

"Encore! Encore!" The voices of both Ruffnut and Tuffnut echoed over the hall as we actually opened our eyes and looked around, now noticing that almost everyone had formed a circle around our dancing area. I felt my face flush as I glanced around, my arms still around Astrid as they continue to clap. We certainly were a known couple, but we hardly did much in the way of public displays of affection and this was certainly a public display.

"Uh, Astrid?" I mutter softly as she shakes her head against my chest and tightens her grip around me.

"Ignore them; this is just us. Shall we?" She asks softly, looking up to me with a smile and I nod. I glance to Gobber and give him a nod to begin again and he does a haphazard salute as he clears his throat again. I lean down and kiss Astrid on the lips before the music starts. We'd kissed in public before, though it was rare, I felt no shame in doing it now; and neither did anyone else as they continued their cheer. Many in the village wanted us to wed already and were more annoyed that we weren't wed yet than anything else.

Still, when the music began again, we forgot they were there and lost ourselves in each other again as we danced. This time to a different beat but not one I recognized immediately, not that it mattered. The beat was little more than something to move too as all that really mattered in this moment was the look in Astrid's eyes as we moved together. We stayed in the Great Hall in such a way for a couple more hours until our bodies were sweaty and breathless, and we finally made our way home. I could see the shadow of a Monstrous Nightmare circling overhead as we made our way back to the house, but it was fleeting as we soon found ourselves at home and locked together again for another impassioned night


	68. Evening Shenanigans

No sooner had the door to the house shut had our helmets fallen to the ground and our arms wrapped around each other. There was something about the dance, the way we moved together in the view of everyone. My blood was pumping, and I could feel her heartbeat race as our lips connect. The sounds of our heavy breaths and gasps filling the air amid the cracking embers. We were still clothed, but that didn't stop me from pushing her back towards the table and hoisting her onto it while she wraps her legs around my hips. We needed to shed these cloths, but it seems that neither of us were ready to break our connected lips even long enough to properly breath.

It was probably a good thing we were not fully declothed yet, for moments later there was a resounding knock on the door prompting our lips to part. We gaze into each other's eyes, breathing heavily and panting as our chests heave. Our faces are flushed red and I wanted nothing more than to ignore the knock and take her on that table right then and I could tell by the look in her eyes, she wanted the same. Another resounding knock hit prompting us both to laugh softly as we keep looking at each other.

"You think I should-" I begin to mutter as Astrid nods.

"You should probably.." She adds as we both finish the sentence together. "Get that." We both laugh lightly again, and I sigh, looking into her eyes as she smiles widely and cups my cheek before pecking me on the lips.

"We'll rekindle this fervor after." She adds before pausing and narrowing her eyes. "Then you can tell me about those ideas you mentioned. Or, show me." She teases and I shake my head groaning as another knock hits the door and we suddenly hear Fishleg's voice.

"Hiccup!" Fishlegs' muffled voice calls from beyond the door as I nod and we release each other from our embrace and I move back to the door, picking up the helmets as I hear Astrid get off the table. Unlatching the door, I pull it open and nod to Fishlegs as he waits.

"Oh, hey, Fishlegs, sorry about that. What's up?" I ask with a smile and he shakes his head, waving his hands rapidly and pointing up.

"Nevermind that, it seems the twins were actually serious about tormenting the loser of the game and, well.." Fishlegs stammers as I sigh.

"Let me guess." I mutter as there is an explosion overhead followed by an ignited silhouette of a Nightmare. Astrid runs to my side at the noise.

"What was that?!" Astrid exclaims as Fishlegs glances to her.

"Oh, hey, Astrid! Uh, that would be the twins tormenting Snotlout." Fishlegs answers her as she groans and turns to me.

"So, we can ignore that, right?" Astrid suggests with a deadpan face and I laugh. She shrugs and adds "It's Snotlout, if the twins are going to torment anyone and they pick Snotlout, isn't that a win-win for everybody else?" She reasons and I have to admit, she had a certain logic behind that point. When the Twins tormented Snotlout, the three most troublesome individuals on Berk were otherwise occupied. But it was also bittersweet because chances are, whatever shenanigans they got into would end up rolling into everyone around them in phenomenal proportions.

"Astrid." I begin as she groans.

"Fine." She resigns as I nod, smiling. Fishlegs clasps his hands and nods.

"We may as well intervene before whatever they're doing up there finds its way down here." I state and they both nod and we motion our dragons outside. Luckily, Astrid and I hadn't gotten so far that our dragons were unharnessed, or we were disrobed. That would've been far more awkward to try to deal with.

"Alright, let's go!" Fishlegs calls out, hopping on Meatlug and flying up.

Astrid and I follow him up as another explosion and the smell of zippleback gas fills the air as we follow the enflamed Nightmare. I fire a blast ahead of Snotlout and he stops, rearing around and meeting us with a genuinely disgusted look on his face.

"Hiccup! We need to muzzle those two for my own sanity." Snotlout cries out in frustration.

"Wait, you had sanity?" Astrid retorts as I shake my head, smiling.

"Uh, yeah. I'm sane, so sane I don't even need to acknowledge that, so shut up, Astrid." Snotlout mutters as Astrid shrugs and glances at me with a smile.

"Okay, Snotlout, what are they doing, exactly." I ask and no sooner did I finish the sentence than the sky erupted with flames. As we look to the source, we see a ziipleback-gas drawn face of Snotlout in the sky as the twins fly through it and meet us in the center.

"Hey guys, H, T, A, S. You know, flip that, we could just call you four Sath. Or maybe Hats." Tuffnut says greeting us as Snotlout and Fishlegs both laugh in the sky while Astrid and I glance at each other unamused.

"Um, yeah, no." Astrid says.

"Okay, okay, how about Hast." Ruffnut adds as we both shake our head.

"I could think of a less flattering one." Snotlout quips as both Astrid and I shoot him a gaze while the twins look on with glee.

"Oh, do tell, brother Snot. We'll leave you alone for the whole night." Tuffnut promises as Astrid narrows her eyes towards Snotlout.

"But we, and by we I mean me, won't. And by won't, I mean I really will replace you with Spitelout." Astrid warns and I nod, crossing my arms.

"And I'll endorse it." I add with a smile as Snotlout groans and the twins fly in a circle.

"Hiccup is back to his tyrannical behavior." Tuffnut sighs

"Yeah, Chiefly power will do that to you. I mean, remember when we owned the Edge for a day?" Ruffnut adds as Fishlegs laughs

"You mean when your tyrannical behavior almost burned down the Edge in a day?" Fishlegs questions

"Tomayto, Tomahto. Come on, what's one little acronym going to do to you two. You guys are still the power couple with the power dragons with the power with the power." Tuffnut asks as we all glance at him confused.

"You said that twice." Fishlegs remarks as Tuff shrugs.

"On purpose. Power Couple. Power Dragons. Double Power. Chief Power. General Power. Quadruple Power." Tuffnut remarks as Ruff moves Barf's head closer to Astrid as we hover.

"Speaking to that, what's it like being a General. Like, what does that even mean?" Ruffnut asks and Astrid glances over to me with a briefly pained look. I could read it, there was totally something we'd both rather be doing than dealing with this but this was part of the deal it seemed.

"It means that I'm in charge when Hiccup isn't here; that I lead the Riders and control Berks defense. You know this, Ruff." Astrid answers painfully slow as she must be on the verge of screaming. Humorous though this was becoming, it was not what either of us wanted.

"Because I like hearing you explain it. So, Snotlout, that word, let's hear it." Ruffnut adds, turning to Snotlout as we both sigh together and glance to Snotlout. He looks unnerved but I shrug and nod as he smiles mischievously.

"Okay, you can't be mad at me…. Shat." Snotlout remarks as Astrid and I groan in unison while the others laugh.

"Wrong, I can be mad at you." Astrid warns as Snotlout gulps and flies off.

"Don't worry, we'll get him for you and keep him in tip-top shape all night. See ya around, S-" Tuff begins as Astrid interrupts.

"That is not becoming a thing, Tuffnut I swear to Thor, I will crush you both beneath my axe." Astrid growls as I laugh lightly. She was kidding, but wasn't at the same time and her threat was, while overdone, still real.

"Woah, okay, chillaxe, A." Tuffnut adds, smiling and laughing to Ruffnut. "Get it. Chill. Axe. Chillaxe!" Tuffnut exclaims, throwing his hands in the air.

"Brofessor, sometimes I worry about you." Ruffnut remarks sarcastically to Tuffnut.

"Don't you have a Snotlout to annoy. Keep it out of the streets and no explosions please, people are trying to sleep." I state, glancing to them both as they both grin.

"That sounds like a go ahead to me to torment Snotlout. Let's go!" Tuffnut yells and the pair follow Snotlout off into the distance.

"I'm sure they'll forget that term…" Fishlegs remarks softly, albeit awkwardly. Astrid just shoots him a gaze as he nods. "Right, right, I'll just head home. Uh, see you in the morning." Fishlegs adds as he moseys off. Astrid glances to me and sighs, I smile and shrug.

"It's all in good fun." I remark and she smiles, shaking her head and nodding.

"So are most of my threats. Most. Come on, let's go home. We were interrupted." She finishes and I nod, and we quickly return home to resume what was interrupted.

*********************************

As we entered the house, I could barely wait until the door had been latched before my helmet found its way to the floor as I pushed Hiccup back against the door and pressed my lips to his. There was a certain thirst I was feeling inside of me, a certain desire like after the dragon races. What we did together did more than just make my body feel good, it made my heart and soul soar on a plane higher than I had imagined. Five years ago, I would've never guessed such a feeling was possible, and not due to Hiccup or anything.

Feeling his tongue wrap with mine, his hands as they trace my body, the feeling of our skin touching as we press together. His scent as I kiss from his lips and down to his neck, moving aside his riding shoulder to kiss him before moving back to his lips. We were both breathless but that didn't matter. In a swift motion, I felt him hike up my hips and hoist me up as my legs instinctively wrapped around his back and my hands gripped his shoulders, our lips only loosing connection during the hoist as he then walks me back to the table and pressing me back. I feel his groin pressing against mine as I bite my lip and smile at him as he pants and smiles, looking down and studying my body before looking back up to me.

"As good as you look in your suit…" He whispers, kissing down my neck and back up as I gasp. "It needs to be taken off before I rip it off." He teases as I smile and cup his cheek.

"Would you?" I jest, running my finger down his chest. "Rip off this suit you helped me build; destroying it in the process?" I ask, my voice dripping of seduction as I truly wanted him to help me shred our clothing.

"We can make another." Is all he answers before I feel his hands find the mesh in my suit's top part and start sliding underneath the scales, where his hands can meet the bare skin of my back. A slight moan escapes my lips.

"Hiccup." I mutter, closing my eyes as he kisses my neck. It's then we both hear an extremely obnoxious knock at our door that literally has me cry out in frustration as I close my eyes and growl. "For the love of Thor." I groan.

"HICCUP!" Snotlout's voice echoes from the door as I groan again and look it Hiccup.

"Maybe if we're quiet, he'll go away." I mutter as Hiccup looks at me with a soft smile and perks his eyebrows. I groan again because I knew what he was saying. Just as before, we had to put the needs of the people ahead of our own, even if the people in this case happened to be Snotlout. "Fine." I resign and unlock my legs around him as the door pounds again.

"HICCUP! I know you're there. I will rid the island of the twins if you don't come out." Snotlout threatens as Hiccup and I both laugh lightly. I recompose myself and gather the helmets as Hiccup goes to open the door. When he does, we see a flustered Snotlout, a face covered in ash and part of his clothing burned with a couple strands of hair still smoldering. I couldn't stifle my laugh quick enough as I heard it escape my lips. Snotlout grumbles and glances my way. "Shut it, Astrid. Hiccup." He says, turning to Hiccup. "If you don't call the twins of torment off, I swear to Thor, I will send them to Valhalla myself." Snotlout exclaims as I shrug.

"Worse things could happen." I say softly.

"What happened this time, Snotlout?" Hiccup asks, ever being the voice of reason and arbitration. I loved that about him.

"Ah, well, where to start. I was out on patrol, after losing to Fishface and the twins seem to have made it their Loki given mission to torment me! I have flown through three clouds of zippleback gas that got ignited, the Snotlout flame in the sky. They nearly knocked me off Hookfang! Is today Loki Day and no one told me?" Snotlout exclaims as Hiccup glances to me and we both shrug.

"We've seen them do worse. Like that time they nearly had you land on a cart full of spears." Hiccup says.

"Or that time they left you to the Catastrophic Quakens." I add

"Or when-" Hiccup begins as Snotlout groans.

"Yes, okay, I get it. I am a constant target of pranks. Still, can you please get them to back off." Snotlout pleads as I look at Hiccup and we both seem genuinely surprised at Snotlout's plea.

"Where are they?" Hiccup asks as Snotlout laughs.

"Ah, funny you should mention that. I do not know. I know they are up there, and the only time I know where they are is before they almost BLOW ME UP!" Snotlout explains ardently.

"Great, so we get to hunt the twins in a dark and cold night." Hiccup says with a sigh as I walk up to him and smile, taking his hand.

"You and Toothless own the night, especially moonless ones. I've no doubt we can catch them." I answer as he smiles.

"You'd think the bone-chilling cold would slow them down." Hiccup retorts as I shake my head and laugh.

"They are warmed by the torture they cause Snotlout. I'll shadow Snotlout, you shadow us, and when the twins make a move, you swoop in." I suggest and Hiccup nods.

"Alright, Can. We. Go? I'd like very much for this night to be over. I am not taking tomorrow's shift, I will quit." Snotlout demands as Hiccup laughs and I sigh.

"Don't get our hopes up." I mumble as he groans and Hiccup laughs. He had grown quite used to the playful animosity between us. I mean, I really didn't hate Snotlout, but there were certainly times I couldn't stand him, and it felt like his very existence was to frustrate the living.

"Alright then, let's go." Hiccup says as Snotlout lets loose a relieved sigh and walks out. As Hiccup moves past me to grab his helmet, I take his hand and squeeze it as he looks at me.

"When we get back, we're locking this door and tossing out any key. This is becoming torturous." I mutter softly as he smiles and grips my hand, nodding as he pecks me on the lips briefly.

"It certainly is, we'd have been on round two by now if I had my way." He teases and I sigh with a smile, biting my lip and nodding.

Well, the next time, there will be no interruptions, so help me Thor. The was like taking me to the brink of pleasure and denying me the final eruption of passion. Every time we drank in each other's scent and taste, felt each other's bodies and felt the warmth of each other's breath. Every time we were denied due to the interruption of some shenanigan by the twins or Snotlout or Fishlegs; my level of growing frustration increased, though Hiccup could always keep me calm and content, even in the face of denial.

Either way, we were soon all up in the air. I had followed Snotlout and taken his far wing, back and up from him so I could be virtually unseen. Keeping Stormfly steady and smooth, it almost felt like we were playing Bad Dragon from our youth; trying to dodge or capture the bad dragon before they caught us or we'd be out.

I do not know where Hiccup and Toothless went, with Hiccup's newer black Nightfury-scale riding armor, he truly vanished in the night with Toothless. Snotlout had Hookfang ignite, making him a perfect target and before too long, I had the faintest of whiffs of Zippleback gas as there was a sudden eruption around Snotlout. Hookfang's fire having sparked the chain that surrounded him. Being far enough back, I noticed the twins had spelt out Loki in the sky and Snotlout was dead center of the 'o'. It wasn't Loki day, but as we remember with the twins, every day is Loki Day.

I then saw the pair of heads sweeping through the flames along with the laughter of the twins, though immediately following that I heard the screech of the Night Fury as Toothless's wings were folded, cutting through the air and ripping past us both towards the twins. He cut the twins off and nearly made Barf and Belch toss the twins off in surprise before stopping them as I caught up and flew along side him. It didn't take us long to pin the twins down and they both had a bemused look on their face.

"Uh, hey, H, A. Did you know, with those helmets, you two look like dragon-demon people? Like, that could totally be a thing we use to intimidate the enemy." Tuffnut begins

"Right, I can see it now! Hiccup and Astrid, landing and igniting a huge explosion from Hiccup's dragon blade that just appears out of nowhere." Ruffnut adds

"Walking through it towards an enemy, taking his mantle as a demon to the trappers!" Tuffnut continues vehemently.

"Okay, guys, enough. First, we're not demon-dragon people. Second, you've gotta give Snotlout a break. Go get some sleep." Hiccup says, shaking his head as the twins narrow their eyes.

"Now he is controlling when we sleep. Typical tyrannical behavior." Tuffnut retorts as Ruffnut nods.

"Uh huh, power; it corrupts even the best of us. Poor Hiccup, to see him walk this path." Ruffnut exclaims

"Guys, seriously?" I sigh as they both look at me.

"Call it what you want; but you've got to leave Snotlout alone for the rest of the night." Hiccup adds as they both grin before I interject.

"And let him get sleep in the morning." I add as their smiles turn into frowns.

"I swear these two can read minds." Tuffnut complains as Ruffnut nods in agreement.

"Fine, we'll go. Party poopers." Ruffnut finishes and they both fly off as Hiccup glances to me and we smile. Snotlout flies up to us, watching them leave.

"Thank Thor. Okay, with that being said, I'll go now." Snotlout adds as I turn to him.

"No more interruptions unless we're being attacked." I state forcibly as he holds up his hands and nods.

"Whatever you say, Hiccstrid. You won't hear a peep from me. See ya, Snotlout is Outlout." And with that, Snotlout flies off and climbs. I glance to Hiccup and he smiles and nods.

"Come on, I think maybe now we…" He pauses.

"Finish what we started." I finish for him and he nods. We both waste no further time and make our way back to the house. At this point, I was both frustrated and relieved, annoyed and happy, tormented and saved. I felt ready to explode already, meaning tonight was going to be a good night to spend in his arms.


	69. No Interruptions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

I do not know whether it was the cold of the night, the frustrations of the twins and their shenanigans or a simple base desire that I felt; but there was a heat to the house. The fire pit crackled, and the dragons had long lost their harnesses with Toothless finding his way up to the sheet rock and Stormfly perching in the rafters out of the way. I found out that it was the same perch area that Toothless used to hide from Stoick when Hiccup was teaching his father how to fly and Stoick kept trying to take Toothless. It's hard to believe how long we've actually been involved in each other's lives; the struggles we've been through together. I'd be wrong to sell the others short, Fishlegs, the Twins, even Snotlout, they all played a huge part, and we wouldn't be where we are today without them.

There was something more, something different; we wouldn't be here at all without Hiccup. I remember, even now what he told me on that fateful day he tried to show the village dragons could be trained. When his father disowned him for an ever-brief period of time, and how he still fought for everyone and the dragons; how he wouldn't hurt a dragon because he looked in their eyes and saw himself. The thoughts were fleeting, for nor sooner than the dragons being unharnessed did the house become a fortress.

Hiccup had latched the skylight in the upper room while I sealed the door in the front. I looked up and over and saw him moving up above and I chose to disrobe right there, shedding my flight suit into a pile near the door. Hiccup had apparently done the same, as he walked down the stairs in naught but his lower underlayer. I was wearing naught but sashed layering covering my breasts and thighs; they were loose, ready to be tugged off. As I gaze at my lover's body, noticing the tensing and lean muscles as he approaches and stops. He eyes too were fixated on me as I leaned against a small table near the door, my hands pressed on the edge as I gazed back at him. The firelight enough to illuminate our bodies with a reddish orange hue as he walks closer.

I feel his breath as he closes in and his hand as it rests on my hip, his other hand gently brushing the hair from my face as he leans in. I meet his lips and it wasn't a second later that I slide my tongue out across his lips; asking for access, for our dance. He seemed more than happy to oblige as he pressed further into the kiss and our tongues met and wrapped around one another, my eyes closing as I take in his scent and presence. His bare chest pressing against mine as his other hand slinks up my back and pulls me closer. My abs contract as I struggle for breath through my nose, not wanting to break the kiss, wanting to feel his lips even if for just a second longer than before. My hands had found their way around his neck, cupping it from behind to keep our lips pressed together.

Eventually, as always, we were forced to break the kiss, leaving us relatively breathless and panting as I hang off his neck and press my forehead to his. I feel one of his hands around my neck and the other circling my waist as I smile, widening my legs so my feet are planted outside of his. He smiles and goes in for another kiss, letting it linger briefly before pulling back and grinning. I narrow my eyes at him and shake my head, smiling.

"Now…" I begin amid a pant "is not the time to tease me." I finish softly, leaning in and re-initiating the kiss. This one is a full kiss again, our tongues meeting and layering the other before parting again.

"Let's get the rest of these cloths off." He whispers as I smile, biting my lip as I nod.

"And then?" I ask softly, biting his lower lip and tugging at it before pulling back.

"Then, let's get each other going. We can start where you take a comfortable seat and then lean over." He says so causally it's taunting as I smile, licking my lip and nodding.

"I do love that, any other… ideas?" I ask playfully as he nods.

"I bend you over this table we're on, and right before we explode, stop." He says, pausing as I glance at him confused before he smiles, adding. "Then you flip over and sit on it, and we finish like that, so we can see each other." He finishes as I smile, shaking my head and nodding.

"Such a romantic." I tease, pressing against his chest and pushing him back. "Take it off, then." I tease, lowering my arms and smiling.

He nods and does as asked as I stand there. He slips his fingers under my sashes and undoes them, exposing my breasts. He then slowly wraps his lips around one of them while massaging the other with his hand as I feel his tongue fondle and play with my nipple, eliciting a moan from me as he then moves to the other breast with his mouth. His other hand now massaging the first nipple, pressuring it between his fingers as his tongue treats my second nipple. I feel his teeth lightly bite, not hard enough to hurt but enough to make me gasp as I feel my hips and abs contort as I felt the sensitivity building. I didn't know that'd make me so heated.

Of course, that wasn't enough though, as he slides down my body, I could feel my own sweat building up from the combined heat of the house to that of him being like this with me. I still couldn't understand to this day why or how he makes me feel this way, but I didn't care to comprehend it; it was a true, unfiltered love.

He tugged at the waist sash and it literally fell to my feet as he did, showing him that I had loosened it in anticipation. I glance down as he looks up and smiles, he slides one shoulder in between my thighs and spreads my legs further, almost hoisting me on his shoulders as I feel his arms wrap around my thighs. It's not long thereafter I feel his tongue slide up my most sensitive and pleasurable area, prompting a sharp gasp and shuddered moan to escape with my breath as my hands now rest on his shoulders. He slips his tongue inside and drinks in my presence as my eyes roll back, I can feel his lips wrap around my lower area as his tongue darts in, out and around. My own moans becoming sharper and sharper as I bring a finger up and bite down on my finger, my eyes closed as I am stifling my moans. I feel my legs begin to shake as I feel myself getting closer to the edge before he slowly comes to a stop. I let out a disappointed moan as he stands up, I feel him slide one finger through my thighs, up and through my open, wet and sensitive slit that makes me moan softly as he leans in and kisses me. I can taste myself on his tongue, I can drink in what he made my body do; and it fills me with such a heat as he pulls back, I look to him and smile.

"Let's take this to the blanket." He whispers as I nod, following him as he leads me. He lets his lower undergarment drop mid walk so I can stare at his bare bottom as he leads me. Turning to face me, he holds my hands and kisses me again before laying down on his back. I can see his stiff member standing tall and ready to be taken in my mouth as I smile. I gaze at his body as he is laying beneath me and take in the sight briefly before stepping over his head. Lowering myself to my knees, I feel his hands interlace with my thighs again and hoist me further down and suddenly his tongue is back at work, eliciting yet another, stronger moan as I instinctively grind against his face.

It doesn't take much else for me to get going as I lean down and wrap my lips around the tip of his member, taking the base of it with my hand. I release the tip and slide down the shaft with my tongue before sliding back up from another angle, and as I reach the top, I slip my lips around it once again. Pressing down and bobbing my head, pressing his member further inside my mouth and throat as much as I can. I can feel him throbbing in my hands, and I can feel my legs spasm as I already feel closer and closer to climaxing. Each bob of my head, slathering his member with my tongue. Sliding back up his shaft, I release my lips and let my saliva drip back onto his member before taking it back into my mouth. I was drinking in his presence, losing myself in the scent and the heat. I didn't know I was so pent up; I knew I was growing frustrated at the interruptions but now I knew; I wanted him badly.

*********************************

The heat between her thighs, the scent and sweat, the spasm of her legs as she rocked her hips to my face while I kept them locked down with my arms. I could feel her back arch when it pressed her chest fully to my chest in reverse, when I felt her breasts press against my stomach as my abs contorted and my hips moved. I felt the pressure of her mouth and throat as she began trying to take the entirety of it in her mouth. I could feel the tightening pressure as it went up her throat, the brief sound of her gulping as she presses further in. The sound and feeling of her moaning, vibrating against my member, making it throb even more. As she got more comfortable, she began bobbing her head up and down, going deeper with each bob of her head. Not to be deterred, I darted my tongue inside of her, drinking and licking up her presence, her wetness. I felt her thighs clench as I began exploring with my tongue, slipping in and around her opening, around her exposed sensitive area, sucking on it with my lips. It was a button that made her mind seem to break as she released a low and sultry moan, her lips leaving my member as she arched her back.

I knew I hit a good sensitive spot there and wouldn't let up. I dive further in with my tongue, wrapping it and slathering the button, the exposed sensitive sweet spot. I hear her moans increase as she leans back down and drops her mouth around my member again, her hand holding and stroking the base as she bobs back and forth, deeper and deeper. I could feel myself about to explode, and I could tell she was nearing it too. I feel her release, I wanted to drink her, I felt her moan and nearly scream while wrapped around my member, the vibrations form her throat eliciting an eruption of my own. She didn't stop, I didn't. We drank in each other's love and passion, I felt her swallow as I did, until my throbbing member was laying to rest in a partial state of stiffness and she released it. I still had her on my face and was holding her down as I hear her talk.

"Hi-hiccup. I'm- I came." She mutters between moans and I slow, letting her shift slightly so I can speak. Licking my lips as she looks back at me I smile and shake my head.

"I'm not done yet, I could live between your thighs. Turn around." I state and she complies with a smile, now sitting straddling my chest as her slick wetness coats my bear chest, I shake my head. "Closer, just… ride my face, until you explode again." I state and she cocks her head with a smile and nods.

"Who am I to argue with the Chief?" She teases, inching closer until she is almost sitting back on my face, I prop her up to answer her.

"You are the most important person to the Chief." I answer softly and smile, taking her hips before she can answer and diving my tongue back inside of her slit. I hear her gasp sharply as she leans back, her hands pressing against my chest as she presses her hips down against my face. I can smell her scent, taste her, revel in her.

"Hi-hiccup. Keep-Ahh-Keep Gooing." She moans, rocking and grinding her hips as I release one of her hips with my hand and slide a finger up inside her while my lips wrap around, and I tongue her sweet spot. My finger darting inside and out of her, each motion prompting another moan. This was another thing I loved most, just pleasing her without reciprocation. Just as when I gave her the first Betrothal Gift, the one she still has, the one my father gave to my mother. She didn't know what to get me but little did she know, I didn't need anything because I already had her. This was no different, I just enjoyed hearing her sounds of pleasure, seeing her smile, her eyes when she was happy or impassioned. That was enough to make me the most content Viking on this Earth.

I didn't stop, and I felt her hips rock and grind harder as her arms weakened and she nearly collapses backwards. Instead, now leaning forward, I can see her body muscles tighten as she breaths out hot breaths and moans, pressing down with her hips and rocking them with my finger and tongue. "Hic-cup. HICCUP!" She moans into a scream as she presses down while I feel her hips spasm and her legs shake. I can taste her presence, feel her heat and passion explode as I drink it up. She slides off to the side as I crawl up next to her. She is breathing so heavily as her eyes are shut, her leg muscles tightening as her hand pressures her lower area and she bites her finger. Making my way up, I move her finger and press my lips to hers. She leans forward and falls on top of me, pressing into the kiss passionately. After several moments, she lifts her head up and opens her eyes slightly and our eyes meet as we both pant, her tongue barely outside of her mouth as a strand of saliva stretches between us. It was desire, longing. I pull her back down and kiss her again, rolling on top of her and pinning her arms as I pull back up and gaze down at her.

"Roll over. We'll skip the table." I whisper and she bites her lip with a smile, nodding.

"Gods, Hiccup. My body is pulsing, my hips are still writhing… I feel… amazing." She whispers before leaning up and kissing me again. Pressing her hand to my chest, she pushes me back as she rolls over and props herself on her knees and elbows, her bare bottom slick with her wet now presenting itself to me as she glances back. "Enjoy the view?" She teases as I shake my head and smile.

"More than I could ever put into words. So, I'll show you." I answer, and lean forward, sliding my tongue up her exposed slit from behind which caught her off guard before I climbed up and rested my hands on her hips. My member was stiff as a rock again, and I slid it in between her thighs, pressing it against her exposed slit and grinding against her. Her slick wetness already layering my member as she hips rock back against mine, pressing into me as she moans.

"Hiccup." She pants, barley above a breath. "What did I say about teasing." She finishes softly and I smile. Far be it for me to deny my love. Pulling back, I press the tip to her exposed slit and slide it in slowly, though she is having none of it and presses her hips fiercely back against mine, slamming my member completely inside her prompting another sultry moan. "Mmm, Hiccup. That's – Ahhh – That's it" She moans as I begin moving within her.

Using my hands on her hips, I thrust back in and pull almost completely out before thrusting back in again. Leaving it inside of her this time as I grind my hips up and down, side to side, moving my member within her so she feels my whole member filling her up. Each movement, each thrust, each pull garners a moan from this beautiful viking woman. I continue, pressing further and deeper, making sure that with each thrust, I am going as deep as I can within her. Pressing all the way until I feel the resistance and her muscles contorting and tightening around my throbbing member, begging me to explode within her. We were already both so close, we had worked each other up so much. The frustration, the interruptions, the sheer love we felt; it was enough to forget any and everything else except for each other.

"Hiccup. Hi-hiccup. Al-mos-Almost Th-there." She moans and pants, pressing her hips back and forward against mine with deep resounding thrusts, spreading her legs to let me get even deeper, all the way down to my lower hanging privates, all the way to the hip. This prompted another shuddering moan as I hold her hips there and she struggles. "No… Al-almost' she nearly whimpers as I lean forward and smile, kissing her neck.

"Roll back over." I whisper and she nods, I can see her smiling as she does. My member exits her and she rolls over, spreading her legs wide as I slide my member back inside of her, pressing in as deep as I can and feeling her legs lock around me. My arms go under her shoulders as her hands interlock around my neck and she gazes into my eyes. "I just…" I pause and she nods, leaning up and kissing me passionately as she slowly begins grinding her hips. Our lips part while our hips move.

"I know, me too. Let's go, together." She whispers and I smile and kiss her again. My lips then trace down her neck and I bite down as I begin thrusting deep and fast within her. I feel her hands tighten as her legs close, my hips rocking back and forth at an increasing speed. Sliding my member back and forth, in and out, repeatedly. We were both so close, on the edge from before, sensitive from the times before that. It wasn't long before I felt my throbbing member begin to pulse and I bit her lower ear.

"I'm about to…" I whisper as she interrupts me.

"Me too! Do it! Hiccup!" She exclaims passionately, turning her head and kissing me on the lips as I don't stop and continue to pound within her as I feel her legs spasm again, her joints lock as her muscles contort against mine. My own member erupts and I feel my heated passion fill her up from within as we moan into each other's mouths, our hips rocking to a slow movement as our lips part. We gaze into each other's eyes as my member stays throbbing within her, our hot, panting breaths like brief warm waves of heat against each other's face.

"I love you." We each say at almost the same time and then we both laugh lightly as I roll to my side and she follows suit, keeping her hips close so my member stays within her for just a moment longer.

"I really, truly and deeply love you. I am glad we are together, and I look forward to calling myself Astrid Haddock." Astrid says softly, leaning against me and pressing her lips to mine. They part and I smile.

"You know, it isn't required for us to take on the names of our spouses in our culture. Some do, but I wouldn't be upset if you didn't" I say sheepishly as she rolls her eyes and smiles, pressing her finger to my lip.

"I want too. I want everyone to know I am happy with you, happy to be with you, happy to take your name as my own." She answers softly, removing her finger as I smile and nod.

"I look forward to that day too. I love you, more than I could ever say." I answer and she smiles, leaning in and kissing me again. Interruptions aside, tonight became a truly good one and soon, we had both drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.


	70. Amelioration

For one of the first times in recent memory, we rose just before the sun without something looming over us. No blizzard causing a whiteout over the village, no people lost at sea, no immediate plans to raid a Trapper fort and no assassin to fear. The potential for the future was looking higher as we made initial contact with the Hysterics, which still left several other tribes to contact and now what loomed over the horizon was me taking my mother's initiative and going out to meet them personally. Instead of her as an envoy, I would go myself and leave her as acting Chiefess. I wasn't going to ask, but I wasn't going to fight Astrid as I knew she would require that she accompany me. Going out like that was a move that made sense now but wouldn't in another couple of years. She is my general and not my Chiefess, not yet anyways, which made us going together appear more proper. Otherwise, were we wed; it'd be the smarter thing to leave her here just incase something happened to me… not that she'd ever go for that.

Still, we had some details we needed to hammer out, I needed to talk with my mother and Eret, brief the Riders and hopefully not be completely overruled by majority. I'm sure my mother won't agree with me going, let alone both Astrid and I, but with the trappers doing what they do and her injury, time was becoming important.

As of right now, we knew of three major trapper ports that were within the outskirts of the Archipelago; which made sense for the three different warlords who were rumored to barely tolerate each other. If we could get them each separately, we could take them. If they tried to combine their forces, we'd need the combined might of the free tribes of the Archipelago to battle them. Individually, they were splintered, and we could raid them with just the riders with relative efficiency, especially if we caught them off guard. In straight up firepower, even with our dragons, they just outnumbered us. That was another thing we'd need to address; when to strike, using the neighboring landscape or weather to our advantage. Until we had the full cooperation of the powers that be, it was just us with varied support from our existing allies who all had their own problems.

Dagur and Heather were hard at work rebuilding the Berserkers, it takes time to rebuild a tribe, especially after their leader was imprisoned for years and had an identity crisis. Now with Mala involved, they were growing into a new beast. A mix of Berserker commitment with Defender's honor; the strength with the ingenuity. They would likely grow to be one of the strongest tribes once again, and their name still carried significant weight. The battle for the King of Dragons had certainly not helped them in rebuilding, thus why even they were unable to intercept Drago and his Leviathan. With Heather creating their own flyer's squadron, their strength would only grow.

Alvin and the Outcasts had grown in size too, taking on remnants of despondent vikings who had no home or were part of lost tribes. The Outcasts welcomed those from all walks of life to join them and their society, while shockingly simplistic, was strong. Between them and the Berserkers, we nearly had enough ships to match the numbers of the Trappers. That said, wars are often won or lost off the battlefield and strategy can overpower any difference in numbers. We had our work cut out for us, but I knew, with Astrid by my side, with everyone, we would succeed.

As if on queue, as my thoughts returned to Astrid, I instinctively leaned in and kissed the back of her neck as we hadn't actually gotten out of bed yet, though we were awake. I heard her laugh lightly and sigh softly as she rolled over and kissed me on the lips before pressing her forehead to mine and smiling as she gazed at me.

"Good morning." She says softly and I smile, closing my eyes and just tugging her closer.

"Good morning." I answer softly and after another few long seconds of silence and warmth, I reopen my eyes and see hers had closed again. I brush the hair from her face as they slowly reopen and smile. "We've got some things to figure out today." I begin and she nods.

"Check on your mother and Eret as well." She adds and I nod as she glances to the side and blushes softly before turning back to me. "I've been thinking about something…" She says, pausing slowly and looking down as I nod, leaning in and kissing her forehead.

"Tell me." I say and she nods, her grip tightening as she smiles.

"I just, when you gave me the betrothal gift from your father, and now we've made our own… it…" she stutters softly, unable to really complete her sentence as I smile press my lips softly to hers.

"Nothing you say is wrong." I say softly and she nods.

"I thought it'd be nice to return the necklace Stoick made for her when he thought she was… gone. Something to remember him by, since I wear the one you made me I just thought maybe she'd… appreciate it." She mutters, and I can tell she is worried I'll be upset or something along those lines and nothing could be further from the truth. I smile, leaning in and kissing her again. I really couldn't get enough of the feeling of her lips touching mine. That simple act almost made anything else we did seem pale in comparison, not for a lack of pleasure but because of its simplistic expression.

"I think that'd be a great idea. She may turn it down, but she may not. Let's go see them, then we can rouse the riders. We need to revisit the summit discussion, the envoy, the trappers." I state and she nods.

"Hiccup. I am going with you." She states and I stifle a laugh as her eyes narrow. "What's funny?" She asks and I shake my head.

"I- nothing. I know you are, and I wasn't going to even try to argue it. I'm stronger with you by my side. I have more confidence, more courage with you by my side. I'd feel awkward or uneasy if it were anyone else going with me." I answer softly as she smiles and kisses me again. This kiss lingers this time, our warm bodies pressing together; I could lay like this for hours.

Not long thereafter though, we rouse and gathered some food before harnessing our dragons and taking off for the day. Astrid had made sure to grab the original necklace I had given her and when she showed it too me, I remembered giving it too her. I remembered her avoiding me that entire day because she was worried, she didn't have a gift for me. This beautiful, strong and courageous viking woman was worried she wasn't good enough for some reason. I talked with Fishlegs about it much later; she called me the Viking who had everything. I wasn't, not at first, but I was the moment she said yes. I felt a pang of guilt when she took it off after Dagur and Mala became betrothed, when I failed to notice it on her. I silently vowed then and there to never let that happen again. I loved dragons, I always have and will, and I'll fight for them. I love Astrid, and I'll fight for her, for us; I would never let us drift apart, I would never take her for granted again. Next to Toothless, she was the most important thing that ever happened to me and was who I am spending the rest of my life with.

Her returning the first betrothal necklace would be bittersweet for me, but not for any bad reason. It just means the awkward stages of our initial relationship were over. I meant she fully accepted my new gift as I accepted hers; that these weren't things our parents had given us, they were things we gave each other, for each other and no one else. It was a sign of our progression, of our growth together. We never stopped learning or growing, we never stopped being better. And together, we only got better and stronger; we only grew.

To return this necklace to my mother also offered us a chance to give her closure since losing my father. I had an outlet, I had Astrid, she didn't. Much like my father, I don't expect her to ever try to break her vow to Valhalla, as my father didn't either. As I child, I remember asking him and he said he didn't want another wife. He was true to her til his death, as was she to hers. They would be reunited in Valhalla when the time came, and though I wished that day to be far in the future, I felt the same with Astrid.

*********************************

We landed at Gothi's hut just after dawn; Gothi was and always has been one of the lighter sleepers and early risers which was shocking for her age. Still, she expected us it seemed as I dismounted Stormfly and Hiccup strode next to me as we entered the hut. Valka lay there on one of the closest beds with a splint and herbs layering her exposed leg. It was discolored and seemed inflamed and painful. Valka noticed us immediately and motioned us over, Eret was on a different cot a few bays down.

"Hiccup, Astrid. So glad to see you, are you okay, what're you doing up so early?" Valka asks in her sweet motherly voice. "Have ye eaten breakfast yet?" She asks, her motherly instincts kicking in as she ignores her obvious injury to ask about us. Hiccup can't help but laugh lightly as I smile at their interaction.

"Yes, mother, we're doing great and we did eat. We just wanted to check up on you two, you've had a hard couple of days." Hiccup answers lightly as Valka nods, smiling.

"Oh, ya know, can't complain. According to Gothi I should be walkin' in a few days. Eret's wound was infected but he's also doing good."

"That I am, Chief. Ready to get back out there. Though with Valka out, you may need to replace her, or Astrid. At least until she's off the mend." Eret adds as I glance to Hiccup who nods, smiling to me.

"That's part of why I came here. I'll be taking over as an Envoy for the people of Berk, and not myself. After the encounter with the Hysterics, I think it's wiser this way." Hiccup states as Valka nods slowly.

"I see." Valka says slowly before turning her soft gaze to me then back to Hiccup. "And who would be accompanying you?" She asks us both, already knowing that it would be me. Something tells me she was against the notion of both of us going.

"I will." I answer for her as she turns back to me with a sigh.

"Is that wise?" Valka asks softly and I almost feel like she is judging me, like I wouldn't be enough to handle it. That couldn't be it though; she knew I was the best fighter this side of the Archipelago, that I'd fight for Berk and Hiccup. Hiccup was equally confused as he questioned her.

"What do you mean? Do you not think we are up for it?" Hiccup asks and she just smiles and shakes her head.

"Not at all, Hiccup. I know how strong you two are together. That strength may be better suited equally divided. If something were to happen to both of you, Berk would be in shambles, especially with the threat of the Trappers." Valka explains her reason and I breath a mental sigh of relief and nod. She made a point, albeit not one I wanted to hear.

"I concur with her, Chief. It may be more prudent for you to go and your General, Astrid, to remain in command here. I'd be honored to fly your wing." Eret adds as Hiccup glances back to me and I give him a soft gaze. He was the Chief, it was his call, no one else's. No matter how much I tried to influence him, often times my own desires lead us to trouble, like when I forced him to allow us to bring Garff. Our gaze lingers and I nod ever so slightly.

"Eret, can I talk to you a moment?" Hiccup then says, turning from me with a weak smile as Eret stands and leaves with Hiccup. Leaving me alone with Valka as Gothi had since returned to her herbal chair where she tended to daily needs. I remained silent, I hadn't expected to be left alone with Valka right then, after she dismissed the notion of us going together; she sensed my unease.

"What troubles you, dear?" Valka asks softly as I shrug.

"I just, I don't feel comfortable with Hiccup going to these places alone. Without—" I add as she continues my sentence

"Without you there. You two have been together for a few years now, no? Many struggles, challenges. Always side by side, even before you became official." Valka continues as I grasp my arm and nod.

"I—yes." I mutter. Valka had a way of seeing into the very soul, it was both reassuring and unnerving.

"Imagine the strength you will have from a time apart. Of knowing he is thinking of naught but you and returning to you, of ensuring he succeeds so that he can return all the sooner. Of you ensuring he has a safe place to return too. Imagine how the people of Berk would feel knowing they are protected by their general, their future chiefess who has proven herself time and time again while their Chief is away." Valka says softly, her voice akin to that of a mother, a teacher, a nurturer. She wasn't saying Hiccup and I were weak together, or weak apart. She was saying we were strong together, and strong apart. That even in distance and time, we would do everything we could to do right by the other, even in their absence. I wonder if this was how she felt about Stoick still, which reminds me of the medallion I carried.

"I guess that makes sense." I begin, pausing as my hand reaches into my belt loop. "That reminds me." I add, finding the medallion and lifting it up. "This belongs to you." I finish, holding out the medallion with a soft smile as her face breaks. For the first time, her composure broke, and she pursed her lips, closing her eyes as she reached out for it and stopped. I heard her take a breath as she opened her eyes, I could see the faintest of tears held in her eyes as she retracted her hand. I moved closer and smiled. "Take it." I say softly and she sighs and nods, taking it and letting loose a shuddering breath.

"I… I never expected to see this again. How- when did you?" Valka asks and I smile.

"Stoick gave it to Hiccup to give to me before we knew you were still alive. It was his first Betrothal gift to me, but since then…" I pause as I take my finger and feel the medallion that I wear over my riding suit, the one he made me of a Nadder with the Hofferson-Haddock crests. "We made each other new gifts since then, and I wanted to return this to you, so you had something to remember Stoick by." I answer as she glances to me, I can see her eyes lower to the Nadder medallion as she smiles.

"Thank you, Astrid. It means more than I can say." She says softly and then reaches out and takes my hand. "I've said it before, but I'll say it again. You are the daughter I've, we've always wanted. And I know Stoick would've been so proud of you both. I understand your reservations about Hiccup leaving without you." She admits and I nod alone, smiling.

"Yeah, you were right though. He was too. I can't be around all the time, neither can he. There will be days when we are apart. Across the Archipelago in equal danger. I need to trust that not only will I succeed, but he will, and that he'll come back to me." I mutter softly and her grip tightens.

"That's exactly it. Trust. The strongest foundation for any amount of love is trust. Passion, communication, strength, support; all of these have a place in love but without trust they all are moot. I know you two trust each other completely, demonstrate that trust to each other and to your people. Show them what the future Chief and Chiefess can do when separated." Valka says confidently as I nod. "And I'll be here to help along the way. Eret's no slouch either." Valka adds as I laugh and suddenly hear the movement behind us.

"Did I 'ear my name?" Eret asks as he and Hiccup walk back inside. Hiccup walks to me and takes my hand and tugging it slightly as I follow, neither Eret nor Valka stopping us as we walk outside on the perch and Hiccup embraces me. I melt into his arms as he leans his head back slightly and presses his lips to mine. I longed for every chance I got to feel that, to just have him hold me like this. It wasn't a matter of feeling safe from all harm in his arms, it was a matter of feeling happy, content. He pulls away and holds my hands, gazing into my eyes with a light smile as I nod.

"How'd it go?" He asks and I shrug and widen my smile.

"The medallion is back in its rightful place; she is happy about it." I say, pausing briefly and looking away as I quietly add "And she talked a little more…" I say softly.

"Yeah, so did Eret. What do you think… about going or staying?" He asks sheepishly and I shrug.

"I think that I trust you. That I know even if we're apart, we'll do our best to do right by each other and that…" I pause, sighing "it probably makes more sense for me to stay behind." I admit.

"I don't want you too… but I agree. I'll do my best to make it as quick and successful as I can." Hiccup says as I laugh lightly and smile, pulling him into a hug.

"That's exactly what Valka said you'd do. I trust you, Hiccup, and I love you. We'll grow stronger during this, and we'll be together during the summit and our raids." I affirm as I feel him nod.

"I love you." He says simply, lightly, his warm breath against my neck as he pulls back and kisses me once more. Tonight may be the last night I have with him for several weeks, and I wasn't sure I was truly ready for that yet, but I would be strong, for him.

"I expect terror mails." I tease, pulling away from the kiss as he laughs and nods.

"Without a doubt." He responds, kissing me again. I can't say for sure what the Gods plans were, if there was a destiny, a rhythm or reason for whatever happened in this often sadistic and cruel world. But if there was one thing I could say for certain, one thing I knew without reservation or doubt; it was that Hiccup and I were meant to be and that no matters the trails or hardships, we'd only grow closer.


	71. Enervated Goodbye

We spent the rest of the morning collecting the rest of the Riders and the Auxiliary team, along with Gobber and Sven. Before too long, we had nearly two dozen vikings huddled around Hiccup and I as we stand in the Academy. I was standing by his side, an unsaid feeling of unease creeping up my spine as I glance over to him while everyone settles. He noticed my apprehension as I feel his hand slink into mine; this would be the first time since we had become intimate that we would be separated for a prolonged period of time. We were professionals, business as usual in matters of war and kin; we couldn't afford to let our own personal feelings interfere with what needed to be done and Valka was right. Hiccup was the best one to be the Envoy, even as Chief, he was the wisest and most diplomatic man I had ever met. He had defused so many situations, stopped conflict before it escalated, resolved it when it did. He never let his mark as the future Chief influence who he was at his core when we were on the Edge, and he wouldn't suddenly gain that disposition now.

But there was more, I was going to become his acting Chiefess in his wake. This would be the first time that I had ever taken that role. It would be the first time, though not the last as our future was already more than suspected. The entire village knew we would be wed, but this would be the first step in accepting what that actually meant. In addition to being his wife, I would be his second, his most trusted in times of need. In times of war, he'd be the one going to battle while I would stay behind to look after the village. It's something I'm not sure I truly realized would be the case, and this was my first taste of that eventuality. I'm not sure how I feel about it; I am a warrior and where Hiccup goes, I go. I would be denying two of the things I held to my core; and I guess this would be a dry run to how I reacted to that.

My attention is pulled from my thoughts as Hiccup's hand tightens around mine briefly and I glance up to look at him. I hadn't realized that I had been gazing down into the stone of the Academy for what must've only been seconds but felt like hours. He smiled at me and his eyes softened as I smiled and nodded, closing my eyes and pressing my free hand to his chest. He nods and releases my hand; there were no words in that brief exchange, none that need to be said. He knew, we both knew; we'd be with each other, no matter what. He takes a step forward and I watch him move as he speaks to the riders, he had grown so much more confident. He spoke with a courage, a conviction that was ever growing with each new challenge he faced; it was… impressive to watch.

"Alright, gang, here's the deal. First; we've officially made contact with the Hysterics and they will be attending the Summit of the Chiefs. They were impressed with our handling of the Trappers off their shores with the Doomfang. Second; Valka was injured and as such, she will be recovering here while I replace her. Eret and I will fly to each of the remaining island powers that be that exist within the boarders of the Archipelago. This will take us outside of our own boarders, as far as the Edge and beyond in some directions. As such, we'll be sending Terror Mails as we can, and Astrid will be the Chiefess of the Tribe while I am gone. I expect everyone to listen to her better than you listen to me." Hiccup says strongly and I feel my heart flutter when he calls me the Chiefess, it makes my stomach drop and a small smile form. I felt a mix of fear and anxiety; this was outside of my realm, not leading, but leading a tribe as a Chiefess.

"Wait, wait, wait. Why is Astrid in charge?" Snotlout asks, crossing his arms as I roll my eyes. I can't see Hiccup's face, but I can tell his eyes narrowed and he frowned as Snotlout looked away.

"Because I said so. Moving on; I expect we'll be gone for three or four weeks at most. While we're gone, there will be no trapper raids. Our priority here will be shoring our waters defenses and resources. That said, I expect everyone is antsy so when you feel secure, some Dragon Races could be beneficial for moral." Hiccup states, motioning me to come and stand beside him. "Any other questions?" Hiccup asks.

"Oh, Aye. What do we call ye, lass? Chiefess Hofferson, or Haddock?" Gobber says with a grin as I feel my face flush and I shift uncomfortably. Hiccup can read me like a book, he's gotten so much better at making me feel appreciated and respected; a far cry from the boy who didn't notice the betrothal necklace I had worn a whole day.

"She is still, and always will be a fearless Hofferson." Hiccup says confidently, glancing at me with a smile as I nod, smiling. A part of me wanted him to say Haddock, I almost yelled out Haddock but bit my tongue as I took a breath and stepped forward fully.

"Those that are here represent the bulk of Berk's trained dragon riders; most of you have seen combat, some of you have seen more than your share. It'll be our job to ensure that Hiccup and Eret have an Island to come back too. The trappers have declared war against us by attacking Valka directly, and Krogan. We can expect them to try again. I'm going to be counting on each of you to help me do that." I state. "If you have an idea, I need to know it. When I give an order, I need it followed." I finish as several of the A team snap a salute which makes me smile a bit, they were still scarred no doubt by my initial training. Even Spitelout was giving this a serious eye.

"Gobber, I need you to summon the Village to the Great Hall, Sven you'll be working directly with the Militia just in case. I want to brief everyone; before we go though, does anyone have any questions?" Hiccup asks again, his hand brushing mine ever so slightly.

"Got it, Chief." Gobber says and takes off on Grump while Sven leaves as well.

"Are you sure it's wise to go out as a pair, a couple more riders wouldn't hurt would it?" Fishlegs asks and I can admit, I completely agreed with him as I glance at Hiccup.

"No, two Vikings on powerful dragons is intimidating enough. We need to appear diplomatic." Hiccup answers.

"And if you two get ambushed by trappers?" Snotlout retorts as the twins shrug it off.

"The trappers would be ill-equipped to our magic wielding chief." Tuffnot states as I shake my head and sigh as I hear Hiccup groan in confusion.

"Okay, okay. We won't engage them, we can fly higher than they can hope to reach and any of them that we spot we'll mark on a map to track their movements. It'll doubt as recon." Hiccup answers

"And we'll be ready to leave just in case. We have his stops, and know his route. I'll have the Riders ready to go and the A team focused on shore defense." I state to everyone as I feel Hiccup look at me.

"Astrid?" Hiccup questions softly as I shake my head.

"No arguments on this one." I answer, turning to look him in the eyes with a soft but strong gaze as he sighs and nods.

"Alright, to the Great Hall. We've got to let everyone else know." Hiccup states and I nod.

Together, the riders all take off and we fly over to the Great Hall where we can see everyone is already starting to filter in. The doors are large enough that Hiccup and I were able to fly in above the moving crowd and land on the opposite side of the Chief's table. It took another half an hour for everyone to filter in completely and find their places while the riders made their way to the table. Eret joined us here with Valka, even though she shouldn't move, she wanted to be here for this part. Hiccup stands and everyone instinctively quiets down, he was beginning to command more respect from the village, not that he didn't already have their respect. He had saved their lives more times than most vikings could count.

"As you all know, we will be hosting a Summit of the Chiefs again, the first one in over a decade, since Drago had killed the original and sent several tribes to the wind. I will be leaving tomorrow to personally extend the offer to these tribes. While I am gone, I am leaving behind someone very important who will lead in my stead. You all know and respect her; Chiefess Astrid Hofferson." Hiccup says, gesturing to me and I'll admit, I don't know the reaction I was expecting but I got one I didn't expect. An applause, and I felt like I wanted to shrink into the chair. I've never felt fear of crowds before, never felt apprehension before the tribe, but this was an absolute first for me and once more… I wished he had said Haddock. I was rethinking waiting until the trappers were dealt with to wed…

"With that said, the trappers have declared war against our way of life and our island by attacking the last envoy we had sent, my mother included. She is well and recovering but we all know what that means. While I am gone, I'll need everyone's help; shore up the islands defenses and resources then have fun. Don't drop your guard, but don't live in fear." Hiccup finishes as the applause wanes and motions for me to stand next to him. I nod and stand as the eyes turn to me.

"We're strong together, we'll be even stronger after this summit and after we've bested the Trappers once and for all. We've survived many trials together and Thor has always been with us. I will need everyone to help me make sure that the Chief has a home to return too. Can I count on all of you?" I ask, looking over the crowd as there is a resounding cheer. Following that, I smile and take Hiccup's hand as I sit down with him and we eat with the town. It's a late lunch, not a full dinner, but I soon wanted Hiccup before the fire. One last night together before our trial began.

*********************************

Both my mother and Astrid's parents found us in the Great Hall during the lunch and sat with us. The Hoffersons sat opposite Astrid and I with my mother using a wooden cane to make her own seat. I got up to help her sit easier before rejoining them as her parents eyed me down. I felt Astrid's hand slink into mine under the table as her father places his rather large fist on the table. He was no Stoick, but he was no slouch either and my father was impressed with him as I recall.

"So; nice speech, Chief." He says curtly and nods to me as he glances between Astrid and I.

"I can tell the difference between you two, you both move and walk differently together." Her mother comments with a warm smile. "Not unlike how I remember seeing Valka and Stoick. Or Harald and myself. It fills me with much joy." She adds.

"I've noticed it too. You picked a good one, Bean." Her father says softly as I feel her shift uncomfortably.

"Bean?" I ask and they both laugh as she groans.

"I really don't like that." Astrid mutters under her breath as I stifle a laugh.

"Oh, that doesn't matter, I'm your father! You're lucky I don't tell Hiccup hear about some of your childhood mishaps that never made it to the streets." He retorts, leaning back and smiling towards me as I laugh.

"Mother." Astrid groans, pleading for support as I tighten my grip on her hand, leaning forward.

"Whatever they are, they made you who you are today." I say softly and she smiles.

"Aye, see, a good one." Her father retorts, glancing to her mother. Leaning into the table, he looks me square in the eyes. "I expect you to return in one piece, boy. I've never seen my daughter this happy, and if something happens to you, I'll personally go knock on Valhalla's doors to bring you back. You hear me?" He states and I nod.

"Yes, sir. I know what I've got and what I'm coming home too. You needn't worry." I answer confidently as I glance to Astrid who has the most painfully uncomfortable looks on her face as she tries to feign a smile.

"Oh, hai, Hiccup, don't think ye be getting off easy. Do you know how many stories and secrets I plan to share with Astrid while you're gone? I may have been gone, but a mother knows. Isn't that right, Tove?" My mother speaks and I sigh as Astrid nudges me with a smile.

"Oh, certainly, Valka." Astrid's mother adds and we both groan while the parents laugh. Maybe when we were parents, we could torment our children the way these people are. My heart hops as I think of that, having children with Astrid. I've got plenty to come home too.

Not too long after that, Astrid and I had bid our farewells to the people in the Hall and made our way to our house. We wanted to spend this time together, since this day had started out differently than we had expected. I wanted nothing more than for her to go with me, but my mother used logic as her ally and talked us into the more logical path even if it was the path that separated us. I think she did it on purpose, not maliciously, but as a means to help both of us grow into better versions of ourselves. We both knew how strong we were together, now we'd see how strong we were apart and grow even more.

Before too long, we were back at the house and had our dragons de harnessed and we were back to our customary position. Sitting before the fire in comfortably cloths under a blanket with a pair of mead mugs to drink and the fire to watch. She sat partially in my lap as my arms found their way around her waist while she leaned back into my chest, her head resting on my shoulder as her eyes are shut. She was breathing softly; her lips were slightly pursed and her hands rested on mine as they rest over her abdomen. I could feel her hands tighten over my knuckles as she sighs amid a breath and she clears her throat to speak. I was watching her, studying her facial outline; studying it so I could see it perfectly when I shut my eyes while I was out at sea. The words she then spoke, I'll admit, caught me off guard.

"Hiccup; twice today. Twice…" She mutters, not opening her eyes as she sighs. "Twice I wished you introduced me as Chiefess Haddock." She finishes softly and I felt my heart skip as I gaze at her. I had certainly wanted too, but we had agreed. We wouldn't wed until after the threat of the Trappers had been dealt with. My silence wasn't doing me any favors as I stare in shock, she turns her head to look at me.

"I-I only didn't because we're… you know… not?" I stammer as she nods and looks down for a long period before turning her gaze back towards me.

"Do you think that's the right choice? Waiting? The whole village knows it's coming, Gobber makes it awkward every chance he gets. I just can't help but think… what if…" She begins, her voice trailing as she closes her eyes and I shake my head, pressing my forehead to hers.

"No, don't do what if's. Nothing will happen, I'll be back for you. Astrid, you know I would marry you right now, right? I would march us back to the Great Hall, and wed you in front of the village." I state softly but confidently as she smiles, reopening her eyes.

"I know; it's still not the right time… if we wed, it would change how we dealt with the trappers. I'd be obligated to stay behind.." She reasons and I shake my head.

"To Niflheim with traditions; what are traditions if they can't evolve as we do. We've broken so many of them." I state as she nods, smiling and closing her eyes.

"Mmm, that we have." She murmurs with a growing smile.

"If we want to wait, I understand. If we want to when I get back, I understand. I don't need marriage to understand my love for you, or my trust, or faith in you." I state, brushing the hair from her face as she opens her eyes and leans in for a kiss. I smile and close the gap, kissing her softly as her hand leaves mine and cups my cheek.

"You sweet talker." She whispers against my lips and then nestles in closer, her hand wrapping around my shoulder as she rests her head on my chest. "Can we just stay like this?" She asks softly and I nod, my arms tightening around her as we nestle in.

Nothing more needs to be said, not tonight. We stayed like that for hours, drifting in and out of sleep before the firelight before actual nightfall fell and we moved up to the bed. We shed our clothing on the way, and it wasn't long thereafter her legs were wrapped around my hips and we were lost in each other. I certainly wouldn't have left without spending the night with her, being with her in every way; mentally, spiritually, physically. It all mattered, body, mind and soul. Each of them connecting; I knew that no matter where I went in the Archipelago, wherever I was, wherever she was. She would be with me; her warmth, her scent, would be with me. The dagger she had gifted me would stay with me.

When we finally woke, it was near dawn again and the time had come for me to leave the woman I loved. One of the hardest moments I had ever faced, something I didn't expect. Having to leave this beautiful naked Viking and get dressed, she had gotten up moments later to get dressed as well and see me off. She wasn't going to let me leave without another kiss, a real one. I felt her arms interlock around my neck as her lips pressed into mine, her tongue piercing my lips and tasting mine as they begun their dance. When we finally parted, she smiles and pressed her forehead to mine.

"Be safe." She whispered and I smiled, pecking her on the lips and nodding.

"I will, I promise." I answer, no quippy remarks this time. No jokes. There were plenty of times for those, but this was not one of them. In this instance, we connected our hearts. She would know that I was leaving but not because of I wanted too but because I had too, for the good of the tribe and for us. I would make the alliances we needed to end the trapper threat once and for all so that her and I could live together in a time of peace. So that we could wake up in the morning without a looming war or disaster on our hands. So that we could live in harmony with the dragons and just enjoy the beautiful world that Thor gave us without being worried about human greed.

I take another look into her eyes, another long look studying her face as she gazes softly back at mine with a smile. I lean back in and kiss her again, savoring the feeling of her lips, the scent and taste.

"I love you, Astrid" I say softly against her lips as I feel them curl into a smile.

"I love you, Hiccup." She answers.

And with that, there were no other words. This would be the longest few weeks of my life without a doubt. There was no other person that I enjoyed flying with as much as Astrid, no person whose company could light even my darkest of days. This would be a true test of my ability to cope, which is something I'd have to learn anyways. And it wasn't just the distance or the time; it was the unknown. We were in a state of war, so anytime we were separated, either of us could be a bigger target. That said, we also could fight without worrying about the other, but we had grown so collected around each other it hardly mattered. That and with these new tribes we've had little interaction within the recent decades, who knows how Vikings on Dragons would be received. Sure, we were the talk of the archipelago, but that doesn't always mean a good thing. Time will tell; Eret had arrived. I bid Astrid one final goodbye kiss before mounting Toothless and taking off. I looked back to see her silhouette gazing towards me in the ever-fading distance.


	72. Tremulous Beginning

This was a different beginning, a challenge I didn't expect to have to contend with. I had worked separately from Astrid before, but not since we've grown so close. She's always just been there; I could always count on her to be by my side. From Viggo, to disobeying my father and tracking down Drago, to the end of Krogan. The Hysterics and meeting their leaders and people, even if briefly, she gave me the courage to stand firm. This is the first time we've voluntarily separated for so long, though a small part of me accepted that I'd need to come to terms with this. With going into danger without her by my side; knowing she may be in danger without me being able to intervene. Trusting the will of the Gods and our own abilities to eventually see each other back to our arms. Everything I did, I did for the dragons, my people, and her. A lot of it was for her; more than it should be.

As a chief, as a leader, it was my responsibility to do things for the good of the tribe, the dragons. To look at the picture as a whole and see past the implications of the day. To try to steer a day in the village or out on the sea to the betterment of our way of life. Ultimately, all these things benefited her, of course. But an underlying motivation, a constant consideration and drive was that everything I did, I did so her and I could have a life together. So that I could end the days with her, wake up with her and eventually reach Valhalla with her. If I had known as a kid how important she would end up becoming in my life, I wonder if my actions would have changed. It was another challenge, another scenario I had to ready myself for. When it came down to it, would I choose her or Toothless? Her or the tribe? I remember a fleeting thought when I was willing to leave her and the tribe behind to fly away on Toothless to avoid killing a dragon. I've grown so much since then and my priorities have been molded by my experiences. With all those experiences, I've only gained more questions and less answers. I briefly grip my forearm, feeling the dagger that connected me to Astrid, the one she had a duplicate of… My mind wrestling with it all.

Eret was being kind, or trying to be anyways, talking to me about random adventures he has been on. I think he is trying to take my mind off it all, though it is hardly working he keeps trying. Him riding Skullcrusher didn't really help as it was a constant reminder of my father, though Eret would've made him proud. He's become something like a brother to me, and he knew my turmoil. He couldn't guess my thoughts, but he certainly could tell I wasn't at peace with the decision. Still, he tried to distract me and every so often, I'd be jarred back to hearing him in the middle of a random adventure. Apparently, he has sailed westward and southward for weeks on end after leaving the reaches of the Archipelago and found naught but sea. It makes me wonder how expansive the sea truly is, if it ever ends, where the point is that it falls.

What finally pulls me out of my train of thought is when Eret points out the island on the horizon. On the maps, we draw these islands relatively close but in actuality, they are rather far. There were several islands that were on varying maps. My father's grandfather's father created a map of the Archipelago that showed us where islands like Villiany, Bashem, Mystery, the Danger Brute Dungeons, Hysteria, Tomorrow, Murderous Mountains. Of course, by the time it made it down to me, many of the islands had sunken or been completely taken by the sea. The Screaming Death certainly didn't do any favors, either.

Our first stop was westward of the Hysterics, we had passed their island some time ago and were arriving towards the territory of the Hymir Tribe. These were a people that claimed to have witnessed the very might of Thor in the skies; though it was often believed they just witnessed a Skrill. Still, they had ships, were on the outskirts of the west and respected dragons.

They were but one of many stops we'd need to make. The Mongrel Tribe was a tribe of warriors, not unlike the Defenders of the Wing, only far more elitist in their ideals. They'd make excellent allies if you gained their respect but gaining that was a challenge. Eret had a better chance of that then I did. After those two, we'd reconnect with the Wingmaidens and the Defenders. I'd take this opportunity to introduce Eret to the Edge. It'd be my first time back since we all left those years ago and it'd be a chance to show Eret the type of work we've been doing.

"Alright, we're going in. We haven't had any contact with these guys in years, but they were never rumored to be maligned. Let's land at their docks and go from there, keep you guard up." I call out to Eret who nods.

"You got it." He calls back. "I've only done work around these parts once myself and never had any interaction with them, so it'll be a first for me. I didn't have a dragon back then though, so times have changed." Eret continues as we land and hop off our dragons. I walk with Toothless by my side as Eret follows suit. The docks have a few ships in port but no one manning them, no signs of distress though so we continue. We see the movement of lights ahead as the village is right near the docks and similarly to when we first landed on Defenders and the Hysterics, we are quite suddenly surrounded. Vikings in haphazard cloths wielding crossbows, axes and maces all leveled at us as they move in from the village.

"State your business!" A large gruff man calls out as he steps forward.

"My name is Hiccup Haddock, Chief of the Hooligan Tribe of Berk. I come to seek an audience with your leader." I respond, standing firm as Eret moves slowly to my left with Toothless on my right.

"And I am Eret, Son of Eret." Eret adds.

"And you come unannounced? Come, then, meet the Chiefess; but leave your dragons outside the village." He states and I wince. I wasn't fond of going without Toothless.

"No can do." Eret responds simply as the gruff man growls. Eret simply shrugs. "Look, you've clearly got us outnumbered; but we will not be separated from our dragons. We come in peace." Eret adds as I nod, glancing back to him as he narrows his eyes at the both of us.

"Well-" He begins before he is interrupted by a sharp female voice.

"Let me see these people for myself." A female calls out from beyond, and the man parts ways to reveal a small statured woman. No bigger than Astrid or I, commanding another large group of Vikings. Were the hiccups of the Archipelago taking over? The thought made me laugh silently to myself as she approached. She approaches confidently and I can tell she is no slouch herself. She stops before Eret and I and eyes us both down with a furrowed brow.

"Uh, hi. I'm Hiccup." I stumble as she closed the gap rather quickly.

"Yes, and that one is Eret. Are you really the Chief of the Hooligans? The Dragon Riders of the Archipelago? We've heard so much about you. Slayers of Drago and his ilk. What could possibly bring you to our shores." She states as I glance to Eret and nod.

"The threat of Drago didn't die with him; his army of trappers is still strong. We wish to see them ended; to purge the waters of their kind and live-in peace with our neighbors and the dragons. To that end, we are hosting a Summit of Chiefs after the Winter Solstice. The summit would house the greatest powers of the Archipelago to tackle this problem." I state as she paces around both of us, gazing at our dragons.

"There hasn't been a summit to that degree in nearly a generation. Since Drago, he took my father at that Summit." She states solemnly, stopping in front of us again. "Who are these powers that be?" She asks.

"Many from all walks of life have already agreed. The Outcasts, the Berserkers and Hysterics. Also, the Defenders of the Wing and the Wingmaidens, though we are flying there to formally invite them after this. We are also going to invite the Mongrel Tribe." I state as she seems to wince.

"That's… quite the collection." She pauses and seems to stare uncomfortably long at me. "You interrupted our evening entertainment. Come, Hiccup and Eret; join us. We'll talk more about this Summit over food." She states and turns, walking away and motioning us to follow. I can see several of the bulkier Vikings staring at us with a certain degree of contempt, but they do not argue as we move to follow her with our dragons in tow. She didn't say no, so that was a start. I didn't really want to stay for dinner, but at this rate, it'd be safer if we flew out at dawn anyways. The first night without Astrid, I just hope things on Berk are faring well for her…

*********************************

Berk has become something of a fortress at sea, an impenetrable wall of loyal and strong defenders watching vigilantly on the horizon for any threat that may come to pass. Mildew's old homestead had since become a look out point with large seeing scopes that can see out into three major directions unobstructed. Sven had several people up there on rotations while I had Gustov organized the A team to do patrols once every hour or so. We weren't at a state of heightened alertness, so keeping them in the air would only tire them out. The food reserves were capped, the armory was locked and ready; our ships were prepared, and our defenses primed. And it was barely midafternoon.

This would be a long few weeks. I wouldn't be able to lose myself in my duties every day, not in this age. We had so many dragons, so many people trained to ride them. We had a completely different way of life now; the usual gripe day was a thing of the past. Naysayers like Mildew had long left our shores. All that was left for us was our duties, and our thoughts. Hiccup. I wanted nothing more than to fly out to him this instant; to shirk my responsibilities just to be by his side again. It scared me to think of what this was going to mean for me in the long run.

I was a warrior; I am a warrior. I fight for my family, my people, the dragons, I always have. And Hiccup has always been there, he believed in me even when I didn't; the Flightmare, the night the Hunters took Stormfly, the lightning. He has always believed in me, always trusted me even when I was lying to him about Heather being on our side. He never degraded me, even when he found out he trusted me. I trust him; I need him. What does that mean? The very thought that I would consider up and leaving it all to fly to his side, knowing it'd be against his orders even if he wanted it too. It made me wonder about this fight we had chosen or rather, that has been forced upon us. I love my people, my family; but I love Hiccup more, and I shouldn't, should I?

It was so easy to get lost in thought in mid flight, flying on the back of Stormfly, circling the island and feeling the cold wind wisp through the helmet. I could close my eyes and live up there. I run my hand up my chest and feel the medallion Hiccup had and then I feel down my leg to the dagger. I know he was doing okay, that he would be fine. He was the best of us, but it didn't stop me from worrying, from thinking. I must've been up there for hours before I felt Stormfly start making her way down; she had grown tired from the flight and I was admittedly mentally exhausted myself. We start making our way to the Great Hall.

Tomorrow I'd see about rehashing the Dragon Races as a means to entertain the masses and maybe help take my mind off of things; but even then. Thinking of the Dragon Races, my mind immediately went to the race between Hiccup and I, where we took each other in the stables afterwards in a flurry of passion. I wanted him with me, he gave me the courage to break out of my shell, to show my sensitive side, if even only to him. I didn't need to be the fierce warrior with him; I could just be, me.

As we land, I can see Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins playing another game of Maces and Talons with various Vikings watching. They didn't notice me enter, which was all the better. I made my way to our table and sat where I usually sit; were Hiccup would sit next to me. It was nearing dinner and my mind was barely registering what was around me. I know a couple people had said hello to me, I think I replied back to them, but it was passing at best. A cup of mead and a plate of chicken sitting in front of me and I could barely muster the urge to eat. I suppose I shouldn't be surprise I nearly jumped at the sound of Valka's voice.

"Staring down yer food, Astrid? It'll only grow colder, and you need to eat." She says, sitting next to me as I nod and shrug.

"Yeah, I know. Just thinking a bit harder than I should be." I admit. It was shockingly easy to talk to Valka without even trying.

"Aye, it happens. I was with Stoick for nearly five years before Cloudjumper took me; married for three of those years. He had already been the Chief. Must be twenty-two years ago, maybe twenty-three that I was taken. I was barely twenty years old and Hiccup was just a babe. I struggled with a lot in those years." Valka says. I can tell she is attempting to reason with me, bond in some way, help me learn to cope with the distance. I hear her take a swig of her mead as she leans back.

"How did you keep going? Stay away for so long? You were gone for twenty years… why did you never try to come back?" I ask the impossible questions. I was sort of angry, at her, at myself, at it all, I guess. She had chosen to stay away for so long, to ignore Hiccup and Stoick for nearly two decades, knowing full well she could have returned. I could tell the question caught her off guard as she breathes softly, though deeply.

"I was afraid. Of so many things. Afraid that Stoick would never change, that we'd always fight dragons. Afraid that would be Hiccup's fate and that I'd be powerless to alter it. Afraid that I'd be judged for leaving, that they'd kill whatever dragon I rode in on. Afraid that he moved on. I had to focus on the dragons, and nothing else or I might've lost myself in my regret." She says in a shuddered breath as I listen, I can tell she's withholding tears and staying strong. "And I was wrong." She admits finally.

"I remember hearing about what happened when you and Stoick first met after you captured Hiccup." I say and she smiles weakly.

"It was… I wanted to be angry at him, I wanted him to be angry at me. I wanted him to shout, to yell and curse my name to the Gods. To justify myself; but he didn't. He looked at me." She pauses and turns her head towards me and smiles. "The way Hiccup looks at you. Twenty Years Later and his love hadn't faded even an inkling. If anything." She pauses.

"It grew." I add softly as she nods, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"What is happening now is so very different; you are separate, but for the right reasons. He makes alliances so that you, that I, that his people do not have to fear for our future. You protect our home so that when all is said and done, he comes home to the one person he's been thinking of this whole time." Valka says and I sigh, taking a drink and setting the mug down.

"I feel like I've changed from before; and I don't know what that change means." I admit and she smiles.

"Do you have faith in him, believe and trust in him?" She asks and I nod simply. I do, and I always would.

"You grew, together. Not changed. You're still the same person, and so is he. But you've grown, in body and mind, since you were first together. You've had thoughts you consider selfish, but they aren't. They are your emotions, your heart speaking to you. It is up to your mind to work with your heart for the better." Valka continues as I shake my head smiling. She has some good, though random advice. Living alone with dragons for twenty years can do that to you, I guess.

"I know, I mean, inside I know. I- Thank you." I stumble. "There is just so much going on, the trappers are a wild card and with how they attacked you, I can't stop thinking that they'll attack him. Maybe one of the tribes he visits will be violent. A waterspout throws him and Eret off course. There are so many things that can go wrong." I explain and she nods.

"Yes, and there are so many things that can go right. Astrid, give your thinking, your energy to the positive. Focus on the best ending to this, the best results. Clear skies for him, clear waters for us. Allies in our fight, a safe home. Trappers gone; dragons free forever. When you only think of the negative, the gods only hear the negative." She continues. "Instead of hoping they don't get thrown off course; hope they arrive safely. Then the last words in your mind are safe and arrive. It seems silly, but the gods made our minds stronger than we care to believe." Valka finishes as I nod.

"I've seen what a strong mind can do. You should see the things Hiccup can do; the shield he made that turns into a crossbow. You saw his dragon sword, his flight suit. He invents things well beyond what anyone could imagine in his mind. Even the twins, they come up with absolutely ridiculous ideas that somehow work." I add, laughing at the last part. "Their ridiculousness is why Dagur married Mala." I add and Valka's eyes widen.

"Okay, that I didn't know." Valka admits and we both laugh. Glancing towards the game of Maces and Talons, I turn back to Valka.

"What about you though. Are you remaining alone until Valhalla?" I ask her and she nods.

"Aye; Stoick did not seek out another and instead held true to his vows. I will do no less; regardless of how others around me may flirt." Valka admits and we laugh.

"I'm sure Eret or even Snotlout won't stop trying." I say and she shakes her head.

"No, no. I'm quite content to meet my love in Valhalla. I expect grandkids from you two, though." Valka states and I choke on my drink as she laughs. "What? You think I didn't know, come on now, Astrid." She says amid a laugh. Sure, I knew she knew Hiccup and I were intimate, but we haven't really talked openly about it.

"Uh, yeah. Definitely, just, not yet." I stumble on my words again as she laughs.

"That's fine, just make sure you keep up with that herb." She states and I groan as she laughs again. "You think I haven't noticed Gothi's exceptionally short supply? You two are young adults and far from traditionalists living in the same house alone. I'd be more surprised if you hadn't done anything yet." Valka admits and I grumble and shake my head. She just had to make it awkward.

"Uh, yeah. We have. So, in other news." I mutter and she smiles.

"In other news; Dragon races tomorrow?" She asks and I nod. Finally, a topic I could talk about without being overly flustered. Still mildly flustered considering but she didn't need to know about that. For Thor's sake, she probably already did. Either way, at least this helped me cope, even if it was awkward. Just take it a day at a time and before I knew it, Hiccup would be back in my arms, and me in his.


	73. Making Do

The next day was equally as aching, for some reason I had a feeling of absolute dread beating inside of me. Something that told me to abandon Berk and go fly to Hiccup; something that told me everything was not okay. But everything had to be, I trusted him, I had to be able to trust his ability to lead, his ability to solve problems and survive without me. I wouldn't always be there to protect him, just like when he told me I couldn't always be there for my parents or the people of Berk when Dagur attacked those years ago. Maybe that was a way for the Gods to prepare me to have to deal with this now, because this was harder for me to cope with than that was.

Now I could only protect Berk and no him which doesn't seem like a bad thing at face value, but I do not know what I would do if something happened to him now. I don't think I would be able to cope; it would be akin to, and possibly worse than losing Stormfly. She was my best friend, my dragon; but he was my love and my entire future. I'd have children with him someday, I already sort of co-lead a tribe with him. I couldn't imagine losing him.

I remember when Snotlout and he investigated a Hunter port and he got captured and shipped to a Dragon Fighting circuit. I was so angry, afraid; Heather having just joined us, knowing their routes kept me grounded. I remember Fishlegs commenting on my urge to kill Snotlout if we hadn't found Hiccup; it was so much worse than I dared to admit. I was ready to level all my anger at that poor muttonhead. For all of his idiocy, he means well most of the time. But in those dark moments, I was ready to send him to Valhalla. Heather noticed it, even Fishlegs noticed it. And we had only been apart for less than a day, but I knew he was in danger. This was different.

This time, he was traveling to unknown tribes, wildcards who could turn on us or befriend us. I know worrying does nothing but eat away at the mind and distract the body while making the heart heavy. It was my duty, my responsibility, my drive to protect Berk in his absence, to trust that he would return and keep the Village in high spirits in the meantime. I had his pendant, the medallion he made me; and the daggers I had for us. The dagger stays forever on my ankle unless I am in bed with him. With those in hand, and my faith in him I could only move forward. With the village supplied and guarded, the next step was morale, and with that in mind, the next step was Dragon Races. I'd start by tracking down the Riders; starting with Fishlegs; he was usually at the Academy or his home. As Thor willed it, he was at his house when I arrived, which made it easier.

"Fishlegs! Open up!" I call out, banging on the door with Stormfly behind me. I hear a lot of shuffling as he opens the door.

"Oh, hey, Astrid! What's up?" Fishlegs answers, I can see the shadows of his parents moving behind him as they must've just finished mid-morning breakfast.

"Going to start organizing Dragon Races, I want you to help me gather the riders. I was thinking of inviting Heather and some of her riders maybe, make it a team race. Just for some competition, keep morale going while Hiccup is gone." I state and I see him shift as he nods.

"Oh, yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Could I be a judge?" He asks awkwardly as I cock an eyebrow.

"Why?" I simply ask as he mumbles.

"I, uh, well, I don't really want to go against Heather. I mean, since she's gone to Berserker Island, we hardly talk with her responsibilities and all. I just don't want a rivalry." He stutters and I can tell the topic is uncomfortable, so I knowingly make it worse.

"Oh, and why's that? I mean, you two were pretty serious back on the Edge, then it just died, then your sudden infatuation with Ruffnut, now you can't race against Heather? You don't want her to see you trying to make points for Ruffnut?" I tauntingly tease as he groans.

"No! Besides, you and Hiccup do that!" He counters and I laugh

"Hiccup and I are actually together, and we make it a game. We each try to outscore the other for each other. What you and Snotlout do is sort of pathetic, to be honest." I retort as his shoulders sag.

"That's kind of harsh." He mutters as I shrug.

"Call it like I see it, what ever happened between you two that you don't want to even race with her?" I ask and he shakes his head.

"I mean, nothing happened. She just went off to rebuild the Berserkers, we stopped using Terror Mails one day and it just sort of, stopped. I was already kind of married to Ruffnut for a day and what you and Hiccup have makes me want something too." Fishlegs admits and I chuckle.

"You know she misses you, right? Hard fact, I tried pairing her up with Eret and she said no. Eret denied Ruffnut's advances." I state, crossing my arms. "Don't be a muttonhead. In fact, by order of the acting Chiefess of Berk, I want you to send the Terror Mail inviting Heather and her riders. Maybe even send her a private one." I finish as he looks at me wide-eyed.

"She misses me? I figured she was too busy... but what about Ruffnut..." He stumbles and I roll my eyes. Was this really a hard decision, I am this close to telling Fishlegs I'm going to share Hiccup with Heather if he doesn't move. Not that I would, but it might make the muttonhead actually move.

"Yes. Better act on it before someone else does and wins her over. Now, send that Terror Mail, then meet me at the Academy. I'll round up everyone else. And you will be racing." I finish, and without waiting turn on my heels and mount Stormfly, taking off. I can briefly hear his protests, but they evaporate quickly as I climb. Next was the twins, Snotlout and Gustov. I'll have Gustov round up the rest of the A team. I've no idea how many riders Heather will bring but having close to our full complement would give us flexibility.

Luckily, rounding up the others was far less of a hassle, Snotlout was eating and the twins happened to crash into a tree as I flew on the way to Gustov's. That poor Zippleback has been through so much with those dolts it is insane the four of them haven't died yet. Gustov was rounding up the others and I made my way to the Academy with the others. It took another half an hour for everyone to get there, with Fishlegs being the last person to arrive. It must've taken him awhile to write it all because when he landed, he glared at me in his nonthreatening glare.

"There, I did it." He mutters.

"Did what?" Snotlout asks as he rolls his eyes and I laugh.

"We are inviting Heather and the Berserker Riders to race against our Riders." I state as literally all of them jaw drop, and I laugh. "Yep, that means you, our own defenders of Berk will be racing against Heather's team of riders. From what Hiccup and I saw, they were well trained too. I'll be officiating, not racing, so we'll pick our team based on how many they bring. But Fishlegs, the Twins and Snotlout will be racing; possibly Gustov and Spitelout. A nadder would really help with the speed." I explain.

"Okay, Astrid, question, question, question. Why?" Snotlout asks as I groan.

"Uh, obviously A here is organizing this race to take her mind off our fearless leader's absence and by getting Heather involved, she gets to have another friend nearby and by making us all race, she gets to become distracted." Tuffnut explains rather observantly and annoyingly as Ruffnut chimes in.

"It could also couple in keeping with the morale staying high in Hiccup's absence. High spirits, you know. Multifaceted Distraction method." Ruffnut adds as Tuffnut nods.

"Multifaceted, lots of facets." Tuffnut adds, and my hand officially meets my forehead.

"Just use Spitester and Gustov, we got this in the bag." Gustov chimes in as Spitelout growls.

"Oi, I keep telling you not to call me that!" He snaps as many others laugh, and I shake my head, smiling. If anything, during this time with Hiccup gone, this showed me that I would be better off hanging out with the other riders. They may remind me of Hiccup, but they do so in fun and their constant bickering and jokes, while annoying, can be a good distraction.

"Okay, okay, time to plan the race." I state as the others move in closer to the board I have been preparing. It was a good thing they were all on board, or mostly on board at least.

"Can we make it super hard for them, maybe not allow Heather to use her Razorwhip?" Tuffnut asks mischievously as I shake my head.

"We are absolutely not making it harder for Heather. We already have the home field advantage." Fishlegs snaps.

"Woah, cool it, Fishface." Snotlout retorts and I glance at Fishlegs and his protective nature. Maybe he had decided within himself to try recommitting to Heather, he was certainly protective enough of her, just like on the Edge. The thought made me smile, and made me think of Hiccup once again.

*********************************

The people of the Hymir tribe were certainly an odd collection, somewhere between Berserkers and us. The Chiefess showed us to their table while their entertainment had returned. It was a collection of Vikings performing all sorts of acrobatics while wielding weapons. One limber viking woman was up forty feet with a pair of swords, using them to swing between trees and land on another Viking's shoulders while juggling the swords. Another used a large rope to swing down and lift the woman up into the air while the one she had been standing on catches and continues juggling the swords. She gets thrown dozens of feet above before plummeting down into another vine and swinging to a roll.

"Quite the entertainment." Eret comments as I glance to our hostess.

"Yes, our aerialists are most skilled. These are also some of our finest warriors, we have turned fighting into an artform." She adds, not taking her eyes off the performance.

"You never gave us your name, Chiefess." I state as she turns to look at me.

"Kari Solveig. This is Jary Halvar, my second and uncle." She states as I turn to nod at the one who had been gazing distastefully at both of us since we arrived.

"So, Chiefess Solveig, would you be willing to join our summit. As I said, we wish to rid the Archipelago of the Dragon Trappers that plague it. They have befouled it for too long, and we fear it is only a matter of time before they turn their attention to our shores, and yours. United, we would be able to aid each other and show them they are not welcome." I restate as she drinks a cup of tea.

"And how do you know they are not our allies." Jary asks in a low growl as my stomach drops. I honestly didn't know that, and while I had thought about that possibility, we were far to much in a weak position to react if that was the case. Even with Toothless and Skullcrusher so near, they'd be cut down before we could escape. I stumble on my words as Eret speaks up.

"Because you have not told us such; if they are, then so be it. Let us leave in peace now, and later we will be enemies. Challenge us, take us, or kill us while we are on a mission of peace would only serve to bring the full force of Berk and our Allies down upon you. Your aerialists wouldn't matter, none of this posturing would matter." Eret says rather coldly as he is clearly unamused by Jary's implication as Kira simply laughs and shakes her head.

"Forgive Jary, he is a bit of a pessimist. Helps keep me grounded. We are no friend of the Trappers, but we are no friends of anyone, truly, save our trading partners. We've yet to align with any outside clan officially, though we have hosted the Berserkers when they were led by Oswald the Antagonistic." She explains, glancing at me as I shift.

"Then it comes back to my question." I restate.

"I would not be opposed to a union between our tribes, so far, I have liked what I have seen from your tribe. You both have shown to be polite yet steadfast." She states and I nod, glancing back to Eret who seems to narrow his eyes.

"Then?" I ask and she nods.

"Walk with me. Jary, would you show Eret our training area; he would be most interested, I think and could better inform his Chief as to our ways." She says as Eret glances at me. His eyes mimic mine, a sense of brief worry in that they are trying to separate us. I didn't particularly feel uneasy here, so I nodded and Eret sighed and nodded, leaving with Jary as Kira lead me on a walk.

We walked the outskirts of their tribe and she showed me various areas, like the trading docks and where they harbored, they few but very fit vessels. They also head scaffolding in the trees, dozens of feet above the ground and she showed me up there, walking above the village until her demeanor changed and threw me off completely.

"Tell me, Chief Haddock, would you be amenable to marriage? It would be a prime way to unify our peoples. Especially if you and I were to wed." She asks rather bluntly, and I cough, shaking my head and nearly tripping.

"Uh, ah, no. I am betrothed to one I love and would not even think to ever leave her. I am sure there are others who would, perhaps Eret. Not to speak for him, but he is able and single." I explain, shakily as I had stopped walking.

"He is not who I would seek. What your betrothed doesn't know won't hurt them, no? It's just us up here." She adds, stepping closer and I step back, turning.

"I'm sorry; no. If this is how it must be, then I will rescind my offer and we will move on." I state, confidently, turning my back fully to her and beginning to walk away. I was not about to deal with such people; Astrid meant more to me than some tribe of acrobats. I was surprised when I heard her laugh.

"Relax, Chief. Call that a test; many vikings forgo their senses when offered such things. You passed. I'd be honored to call you an ally." She states and I glance back with narrowed eyes.

"Really." I state, not hiding my irritation.

"Yes. Sorry if that was blunter than you are accustomed too, but it is how I judge character. Look up." She states and I glance up to see several of her aerialists looking down upon us with arrows drawn. "They were ready to detain you had you attempted to take me. It's happened before, I've found it effective at weeding out those who are honorable and those who are not. I am in no danger, after all. We stopped a dangerous trader by doing it this way; apparently, he had traveled to other villages and attempted rather untold things." She states as my unease returns. She really was just testing me, that was annoying, and not something I was eager to tell Astrid about.

"Do me a favor, and never do that again." I state simply as she nods.

"Understood, chief. Jary and I will be at your summit, and hopefully you are not too offput by my test." She states and I shrug.

"While I understand your reasoning, I do not appreciate your methods. Let's not speak of it again." I state and she nods.

"Stay the night, we have comfortable areas you, Eret and your dragons can stay. You can leave in the morning with no contest; but it is nightfall. Better to rest." She states and I nod.

"Fine." I answer and I can tell she is now uncomfortable by my relative annoyance at her test. It honestly made me angry, we had customs, traditions and while Astrid and I broke our share, that was one we dare not tread. I would no sooner leave nor betray her than I would kill Toothless by my own hands.

The rest of the night went off rather smoothly after that uncomfortable interaction, Eret told me of the training area and I told him about what happened. He was equally displeased with their methods but seemed genuinely happy with me and my reactions. I thought I was maybe more irritated than I should be but Eret helped me justify my annoyance.

The next morning rolled around and we took off without another word, flying off into the distance. I was still annoyed, even that morning, and knew that when I told Astrid, she would be equally perturbed by their leader. I can only hope that she doesn't react rashly at the summit when she meets her.

This event made me just miss her more and want her in my arms more. It was barely the second day and I already felt like it had been a week. I know it was pathetic to think about, but all I wanted was to drop what I was doing and return home to her, to hold her. I absolutely hated being away from her like this, even if it was for a good cause.

Hours passed and there was a storm on the Horizon as we flew norward, our next stop being the Defenders of the Wing Island, then the Mongrel Tribe, then finally Wingmaiden Island. I was going to try to make it to the Edge today from this far South, but it was looking like that wouldn't be possible. The rain was just starting to fall on us as Eret's sudden shout caught me off guard.

"HICCUP! LOOK OUT!" I hear him shout as I glance down and hear Toothless roar as a net captures us both and drops us down below. I hear a crack of lightning before both Toothless and I hit the water, falling deep under the weight of the heavy metal net. It had a chain and was dragging us under the water towards the underside of a ship. I can see the silhouettes of half a dozen ships around the one the chain is bringing us too. And that's… that's when I started to lose consciousness.

I felt a quick lash of the chains as I struggle to look up and see Skullcrusher hoisting us up and out of the water. When we surface, I see the lead ship aflame and the wrench that held the chain demolished and wrapped around Skullcrusher's tail as I cough out water. Eret shakes the net and Toothless and I fall free as we hear roaring down below. I glance at Eret who simply smiles.

"Astrid would've killed me if anything happened to you, I'm not about to face that woman's wrath. Let's go nail this sods." Eret remarks and I smile and nod.

"Yes, let's. They're making this personal, almost like they are hunting me specifically." I state and Eret shrugs.

"They hunt the Chief, they get the tribe." He states and I laugh, thinking back to what my father said all those years ago when Krogan nearly took me to Ryker and Viggo.

"No, if they hunt any of us, they get all of us." I clarify as Eret smiles and nods before we both dive together. These trappers were in for a rough morning.


	74. Changing Tides

This was a different sort of attack; they had targeted me personally and got the drop on us in the lull of the morning when the fog bank was still strong around the islands. We didn't notice them as they were hiding behind a grouping of sea stacks amid the fog, but they had perfect line of sight on us and nearly got Toothless and I. Now, we'd make sure they couldn't get anyone else. These trappers, for all their ego, were less of a threat than the Hunters were. At least Viggo dragon-proofed his ships near the end, these guys did nothing of the sort. Blowing holes in the ships was an easy task, and Skullcrusher walloped several masts that came crashing down. They were counting on the element of surprise to win the day, then they'd only need to focus fire one dragon, not two. Fortunately for us, Eret was on the top of his game where I was obviously far too distracted. I'd do Astrid no favors by ending up captured or worse, dead. Thor knows she'd never forgive me. Thinking of her, of being with her, fueled me.

Another barrel roll down and Skullcrusher's angry roar sunk the remaining ships as the trappers escaped to dinghies and drifted at sea. I had an urge, a deep-seated thought to open fire on their dinghies, to let them be lost at sea but I knew it was wrong and dishonorable. I'd be no better than them if I succumbed to such tactics. One of the things that separated us from the trappers, the hunters or the flyers over the years is our ability to maintain our moral and ethical code even in the heat of battle. Even when we were faced with life altering choices, we never faltered on our way of life. The closest we ever came was when I took Krogan's life; but in that moment, it was him or I. This was different, it was a choice, and it wasn't a choice. I knew what the answer was as I looked to Eret and waved him upwards. We weren't going to be like them.

"You sure it's a smart idea to let them be, Chief?" Eret asks and I sigh. He was one of the few who called me Chief almost all the time, even alone. It was like a jab every time to me though, even though he meant it with the utmost respect.

"Yeah, not really. It's the right thing to do. We aren't like them; this gives them time to hopefully think about their choices and change." I respond as I fly up. "Come on, we'll head to the Edge and camp there before visiting the Defenders, Wingmaidens and Mongrel Tribes." I state

"Think we aught to invite the Shivering Shores as well?" Eret asks and I turn my head nodding.

"I'll be honest, I hadn't even thought of them since my father mentioned them a few years back; took his first dragon there on a meeting. Supposedly they had yearly meetings, but that stopped or at least, he stopped mentioning it. May as well. From what I remember, my father said their Chief was someone who expected a gift." I explain while altering course to the Shivering Shores. It was out of the way and still nearly a day's flight even on Toothless. "It's a bit out of the way." I add as he nods.

"I've made port there before; I know their leader. He'll act like a dominant, but it's a façade. He'll try to intimidate, but he is all roar and no blast. They call him Audun the Intimidating." Eret explains and I scoff with a light smile while shaking my head.

"Anything else I should know?" I ask and he nods.

"It's cold there, but mentioning the weather is akin to insulting them. Audun is likely going to go for the summit, they don't kill dragons there. He respects authority." Eret adds as I nod. So, a typical viking in these parts. In recent years, the number of dragons that had grown to accept Vikings had grown dramatically since Berk and the Hooligan Tribe became a dominant power in the Archipelago. We had survived the Outcasts and Berserkers, befriended both. We had bested the Hunters and Riders which had the Great Beyond on its heels; ending the malicious machinations of Johann. We bested Drago where no one else could. Yes, we had come a long way indeed. I hope my father rests peacefully in Valhalla knowing we won.

"Noted" I respond as we continue flying. The weather thing was weird but who am I to judge.

Together, we flew straight for the Shivering Shores as the skies and seas were relatively clear along our path. We saw patches of ships here and there, from traders to suspected trappers but we know that wasn't our mission. We'd oust them entirely soon enough. All in all, the flight was relatively peaceful, Eret and I exchanged stories as he told me about his travels, and I told him about life on the Edge. It was a welcome distraction until we saw the Shivering Shores on the horizon, and we put on our serious faces.

"Protocol? Where should we land?" I ask Eret as he shrugs.

"Never landed there to be fair, we've had good luck with the docks, let's go with that." Eret answers and I nod. We swoop into the docks, which is bustling with activity from fishers offloading their catches for the day to people offloading other supplies from other boats. To say we surprised them would be an understatement as they clearly weren't expecting aerial visitors. They were all wearing winter gear and burly with pikes and such, most of their armament seemed designed for fishing though as a bundled man approached us as we stay on our dragons.

"Riders! Be ye friend or foe, state yer business or forfeit your lives." He calls out as I glance to Eret who nods.

"I am Chief Haddock of the Hooligan Tribe, this is Eret of the Hooligan Tribe. We come with an invitation to your Chief." I state is the most confident voice I could muster.

"Chief, eh? Last I 'eard, Stoick the Vast was Chief. Yer Hiccup then." The man states as I nod.

"My father fell in battle against Drago earlier this year, so I have taken the responsibilities and seen him avenged." I state, for I truly did not regret Drago meeting his end. The man laughs as he waves us by.

"We had heard Drago died on Berk, good riddance. The Chief'll want to meet you anyways. Stoick spoke rather proudly of his boy." The man continues, walking ahead of us as we follow before pausing and looking at me up and down and nodding. "Though, you've grown out of the hiccup phase, it seems." He says before looking past us and shouting. "Finish offloading before dark!" He barks and there is a sudden bustle behind us as we continue on our way. "And Eret, it's been what, nearly a year? You weren't a Hooligan then, nor on a dragon." He states, glancing back towards Eret as we continue walking.

"Longer, Birger. Drago tried having me killed, The Chief here and his friends saved me and invited me to their island. This big boy was Stoick's dragon. Hiccup passed the reigns to me after… Drago." Eret explains, glancing to me.

"Aye, my condolences. Stoick was probably one of the few outsiders Audun liked. Well, let's go. He's probably at the ring." Birger states as I glance to Eret who sighs.

"The ring is a fighting ring where their warriors do contests against each other." Eret explains as I nod.

"Audun participates on occasion, when he's bored." Birger adds as I hear the clash of steel ahead. We arrive at a large ring, larger than our Dragon Academy without the metal ceiling. Inside is a pair of shirtless vikings going iron in iron against each other. If I didn't know it was training, I'd think they were trying to kill one another. Watching with a mug in his hand was a large man draped in animal pelt with a sword that dwarfed Viggo's on his hip. As soon as he spotted the Night Fury and Rumblehorn, he raised his hand and the fight stopped almost on a dime as he got up to greet us.

"Eret, Son of Eret! It has been too long, care to duel again?" He states, clasping Eret's hand as Eret laughs.

"Only if you want to lose in front of your people, Chief." Eret jests as the man laughs loudly before turning his eye to me.

"Who's this?" He says curtly, his face hardening.

"I am Chief Hiccup Haddock of the Hooligan Tribe, son of Stoick the Vast. I've come with an offer for you." I state as he walks up to me and breathes down on me while his eyes dart to Toothless then to me.

"Stoick's boy, eh?" He mutters, sounding not unlike Alvin. I simply nod as he glances to Eret, then Birger, then back to me. "Why should I care what you offer?" He asks as I narrow my eyes and return his glare. He may have me on height, but I wouldn't show weakness.

"Because I am the one who rid the world of Drago Bludvist. I ended the life of Krogan the Assassin, bested both Viggo and Ryker Grimborn of the Hunters and I trained and befriended the Night Fury, the Alpha. You would be wise to hear me out." I state confidently as I dare not blink. Audun's eyes narrow as his brows furrow and his lips purse. I can hear him crack his knuckles by rolling them, the tension is palpable. That is, until he laughs.

"This boy's got more of his father in him than I thought! Come boy, let's talk." He states, his arm wrapping over my shoulder and leading me to the other side of the ring with Eret and Birger in tow. He was the same size as my father, almost exactly. For the briefest of seconds, it almost felt like my father was moving me. The thought was fleeting, and now this was just another meeting I wanted done with. One more meeting to complete before I could return home, return to her, to Astrid. Each passing moment was just another moment I was away longer. This type of responsibility, it was the type I hated most for it kept me from her. It was worth it in the end, but it was trying.

*********************************

I was gazing out that morning near the Academy. There was a dense fog that had rolled through the Archipelago overnight and somewhere out there, Hiccup was flying or meeting with people about the summit. I longed to be by his side, even now, even amid a Dragon Race. I cared less and less for these things in his absence, but I had to try. I'd do him a disservice by letting myself get lost in depression or my own longing. There would be time when he returned, and when he finally did, I'd be locking the door and throwing the key out for a week.

This morning felt different, like something was off, the urge to fly to Hiccup was stronger, as though something was wrong. For the briefest of moments, I could swear I heard the scream of a Night Fury and the echo of its plasma blasts out at sea. When I tried listening closer, my heart seemed to skip a beat as I was met with nothing but the sound of wind or the sea crashing to the rocks below. My thought was interrupted by Fishlegs as he walked up behind me.

"I'm sure Hiccup is doing fine, Astrid." He says confidently as I nod. Leaving the passing sounds as little more than gusts on the wind as I turn to him.

"Heather will be here soon, are you ready for that?" I ask as he shifts uncomfortably, poking his fingers together and nodding.

"Yeah, I've been thinking about what you said overnight. Heather was worth waiting for on the Edge, she's worth waiting for here. I think I'm going to stop arguing with Snotlout over Ruffnut." Fishlegs admits and I smile.

"Good answer. I think that's for the best." I admit and he nods as we hear the sound of a Razorwhips call from behind us. We both turn and see Heather leading a Nadder, Nightmare and Gronkle with various Berserkers with them. She lands next to us and hops off, rushing me as we embrace in a hug. I had missed Heather.

"Astrid! I'm glad to see you, and you, Fishlegs!" She says with a heartfelt smile as we release our embrace. "I brought about half of the Berserker riders, left most on the Island since Dagur and Mala left for the Defenders Island a few days ago. They know to send a Terror Mail here if they need anything at all." Heather states as I smile. She glances around and asks. "Where's Hiccup?"

"He decided to personally invite the other tribes after his mother and Eret were ambushed by the trappers. If he sticks with the schedule, he should be heading out towards the Edge right now." I state. "Which means, he'll run into Dagur and Mala when he stops by at the Defenders Island." I add.

"Oh, wow. How are you doing? I know when Dagur is separated from Mala for an extended period of time, he becomes really irritable and, uh" She pauses as Fishlegs chimes in.

"Deranged?" He offers and we all laugh as Heather nods.

"Yeah, when Mala isn't around." Heather finishes and both of them laugh awkwardly as I smile. It was almost like we were back on the Edge. My smile turns into a sigh as I shrug, I miss him, for sure, but know he's doing what's best for all of us.

"I don't think I've been any more irritable than normal." I state, glancing at Fishlegs who holds up his hands.

"I'm not touching that with a ten-foot Zippleback." Fishlegs states as I scoff.

"Okay, maybe a bit more stern than normal." I admit as he rolls his eyes away and Heather laughs, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay to miss someone, especially with what you two have." Heather says softly as I smile and nod.

"Fishlegs, can you lead Heather's riders to the stables? The race isn't going to start for a few hours." I ask and he nods.

"S-sure. This way, Berserkers!" He says and hops on Meatlug and flies off with them in tow. Heather and I watch them go before she turns back to me.

"So?" I ask and she nods.

"Did you talk to him?" Heather asks and I smile and nod.

"I was getting annoyed with him constantly pandering to Ruffnut to be honest. He told me that with Berserker Island growing, you two had just sort of stopped talking and I basically said that wasn't good enough and to reach back out to you." I state, laughing lightly to myself.

"He did send me a private message, saying he wanted time for us to catch up alone either before or after the race. I agreed. It's hard to find someone as caring and intelligent as him; even these past few years, everyone who wanted to try to court me expected brawn to win me over. I had to teach a couple of my riders-to-be a thing or two about manners, actually." Heather admits and I shake my head.

"They don't know you like they think they do. I hope with everything changing, you two have a chance now. Berk is much closer to Berserker Island than the Edge was. Hardly more than a couple hours there and back." I state as she nods.

"Yeah, so tell me, how are you doing? No skirting the truth this time." Heather states and I sigh.

"I've felt like abandoning my duties here more than once just to fly out to him; but I know that's the wrong answer. I've had a twist in my gut like something bad was going to happen, even this morning I could've sworn I heard the shrill call of the Night Fury and the plasma blasts that follow echo on the wind. All I can do is wait, keep Berk safe and literally lock him in a room with me for a week when he gets back." I say, the last line turning into a sigh as Heather laughs and I blush. "Um." I mutter as she shakes her head.

"Don't fret, girl time is safe time." Heather says.

"Alright, well, enough about that, we've got a race to prep for." I state and she nods. We walk down the Academy and I regale her with the map and details. She would be racing, I wouldn't be.

The next couple of hours flew by as the rest of the village roared to life and the Great Hall filtered between full to empty as people ate and drank their breakfasts before making their way over to the Academy and surrounding stands. I took my place in the chair besides Hiccups, the one where his father sat. He had added another one for me to sit in whenever I wasn't racing with him and we could watch, and as I look at it now; we already acted very much like we were married. At this point, the actual ceremony would serve as more of a formality and title than anything else; I'd officially be his Chiefess and General. Maybe we'd make someone else the General at that time, maybe Gustov just to upset Snotlout. Either way, when I took a seat there, I noticed a lot of eyes in the stands fall on me as I sighed deeply, I wished he was here too, and a large part of me wished we were married already.

Everyone had been briefed on the route, it would be a team race to capture the sheep. Spitelout was our fifth, just to add the Nadder into the mix as I was sitting out and officiating. I could've opted to race, but honestly wasn't feeling it. With a swift draw and spine shot from Stormfly to a bell, the race kicked off with a vengeance.

It was interesting to watch from a distance, and to see the difference in certain people's performance. For one, I noted that Fishlegs wasn't aiming for Ruffnut's affection or acting like her wing whereas Snotlout absolutely was. Fishlegs however was on Heather's tail adamantly, even going so far as to swipe a sheep from her. Heather and Fishlegs actually seemed to be enjoying the competition while Ruffnut was confused why Fishlegs was suddenly ignoring her. It was quite funny to witness with insider knowledge. Maybe there was hope for those two yet, and Ruffnut would have to settle for Snotlout… or was that the other way around. Meanwhile, Tuffnut was apparently more than happy causing chaos without a romantic interest.

The race was close, a lot closer than I expected to be honest. We were in the lead because we knew the lay of the land more than not, though victory was within their reach if they got the Black Sheep. Then, the most interesting thing happened. Something no one saw but me. Fishlegs gave Heather the Black Sheep and threw the race. It honestly made me smile; I didn't care who won after all, this was a friendly team competition not individual. And this close, it could easily be chalked up to luck. Low and behold, the Berserkers won the first round. There'd be at least one more race, if not a third tiebreaker today, though they'd be after lunch.

As we filtered away for lunch, I saw Fishlegs and Heather walking together towards one of the catapult outposts on the island; if memory serves, this was the same one that I first started wondering about Hiccup at. When he left right after Gobber mentioned aiming for wings and tails of a dragon, all those years ago. Fishlegs probably had no idea, but it was only fitting they have their talk there. I can only hope for good things to come from them. That's one union I'd wholeheartedly support. My eyes trace past the outpost onto the horizon, and again my thoughts trace back to Hiccup. It hasn't even been a week, and it feels like it's been a month. I'd make it through this for him.


	75. Friends

The day seemed to fly by after lunch, quite literally, with the next two dragon races going off. We had won the second match leaving it to a third, tie-breaker match. I think that Heather intentionally threw the second match like Fishlegs did the first, which made me smile to see how similar they were to Hiccup and I. While it reminded me of him, it also helped me seeing it. They've swooned over each other for years, since before Hiccup and I were a thing. Even though Heather made a point to call out how Hiccup and I were together when she first visited the Edge. When she left that time, it reminded me that I'd always have Hiccup, even when my friends had to leave. That was true even now, even with Hiccup hundreds of miles away on some island or flying, I had him. I knew he was mine, and I think subconsciously I knew it then. That was the first time I told Hiccup that I had him and while I don't think either of us understood what our subconsciouses did that day, it laid the groundwork to our relationship.

Like Heather and Fishlegs, it was built on respect, on friendship and communication, on Trust. I never had to worry, never had to fear. With Hiccup, even so far away, my heart, while stretched from the distance was safe. I knew I'd never have to contend with another or argue with anyone for his affection. He made that painlessly obvious, never making advances on anyone and always coming back to me. He was saving himself for when I was ready; I'm sad that it took me being temporarily blinded to open my eyes to what I could have with him. I largely ignored Heather's comments, or the side bars from the others, but having him by my side when my sight was lost made me realize that I never wanted him to leave.

These two were a tad different but relatively the same. Fishlegs had always liked and respected Heather for who she was, her mind and her heart more so than her body. Truly, Heather was arguably one of the more attractive Vikings in the Archipelago and could have nearly anyone she wanted. Yet she was resolved to not have anyone if she couldn't be with Fishlegs for whatever reason. Everyone else just saw a body, and while the physical touch was an important part of any relationship, especially mine with Hiccup, it certainly shouldn't be the basis.

By the end of the second match, I pulled both Heather and Fishlegs aside with a knowing smile as they shifted awkwardly. They totally had thrown each of those races, but the tie breaker couldn't be thrown.

"Alright, I've seen what you two did, now I want you to go all out. The twins, Snotlout, your Berserkers, they grab some points, but the race has largely been around you two." I state with a smile as Fishlegs sighs and Heather shifts her eyes.

"But I don't want to compete with Heather, Astrid." Fishlegs admits as Heather nods.

"I understand but think of it like this. Whomever loses must go to the other's island for a whole week with the victor. So, if our team wins, Fishlegs, Heather must stay here for a whole week. Heather, if you win, Fishlegs has to go with you to Berserker Island for a whole week." I offer as I see their eyes dart to each other.

"That's so not fair, Astrid." Heather says with a grin as I shrug.

"Yeah, I'm the not fair one in our hierarchy. So that's the deal. Either way, after the race, the loser goes with the winner for a week. And Fishlegs, do you really want to spend a week with Dagur?" I ask as his eyes widen, and he shakes his head as Heather moves to speak up and I quickly click my tongue and she smiles and shakes her head. We both knew Dagur would be at the Defenders Island for the week if not longer with Mala, but Fishlegs didn't. It'd make the contest even more interesting. They both agreed to my terms and returned to their respective teams as I reclaimed my spot on the stands. My eyes trail to Hiccup's empty chair and I frown slightly, sighing as the teams take positions. Closing my eyes, taking a deep breath and nodding slightly, I smile and glance to Stormfly. "Stormfly, Spine Shot." I say and she lobs a spine at the bell and the race kicks off again.

This race was certainly different. There was a newly refreshed vigor in the way Fishlegs and Heather both raced that seemed to dwarf the other riders. Snotlout and the twins each scored their fair share of points to be fair, the twins scored most as Snotlout kept giving his sheep to Ruffnut even though they were on the same team. Ruffnut was also visibly irritated that Fishlegs seemed to ignore her entirely, which makes some sense since they were technically, not really married for a day. Gods, that story was a funny one. It amazes me Fishlegs even thought he'd want to go through that with her again, over Heather, muttonhead.

The race wasn't predictable and was much closer than I thought it'd be. Meatlug was zipping faster than I've seen a Gronkle fly, making sharp turns and drops that a larger dragon like Windshear couldn't hope to match; though her speed well made up for it. As usual, it came down to the Black Sheep, the tie breaker. Heather's team was ahead by two points but Fishlegs had surprisingly good luck with the Black Sheep. Turns out, his luck would run out on this race as he dives towards the Black Sheep and Heather swoops in underneath him and steals it. The last bit is him trying desperately to take it back but the speed of the Razorwhip was almost akin to a Nightfury, and soon thereafter, Heather scored and took home the game. When she landed, she glanced up at me and winked a knowing smile as I grinned and nodded.

"Today's winner is the Berserkers!" I shout out as there is a uproar in the stands. No one really cared, it was all in good fun and it was awesome to watch.

"What were you doing out there, Fishface?" Snotlout demands.

"Uh, yeah, like where were you. I only had Snotlout following me around." Ruffnut complains as I laugh silently to myself.

"Well, Heather was the more important one to focus on and she was better than I was." Fishlegs admits as they all groan. Heather walks up, placing a hand on his shoulder and shrugging.

"That's not how I'd put it. Good race, you guys. We'll have to do it again. We're going back to Berserker Island tonight." Heather states, glancing back to me and nodding as I smile and nod.

"It was great seeing you, you guys should come back in a week and we can do the race again. With luck, Hiccup will be back." I add, the influx in my voice only noticeable to those like Heather as she reaches her hand out and embraces me in a hug.

"I'm sure he won't be gone any longer than he needs to be. And I'd love to come back, maybe rotate my riders to give them a chance of competitive racing. It's a good training regime." Heather admits and I nod.

"That's partially how we've used the races. Alright, we'll see you then. Snotlout, can you and the twins track down Gustov and round up the Aux riders back here?" I ask as the twins grin while Snotlout groans.

"Why can't Fishface go with them?" Snotlout asks as I furrow my brow.

"He'll be busy, now go." I state curtly and he sighs and nods, the twins and he then hoping on their dragons and taking off as I turn to Fishlegs and Heather. "Alright, don't get into too much trouble you two." I state with a sly smile.

"You got it." Fishlegs says, "No promises." Heather adds, almost at the same time as they both laugh, and I roll my eyes with a smile.

"So, you two better take off before those guys come back. I'll cover for your absence, Fishlegs" I say with a smile.

"Thanks, Astrid!" Fishlegs says, hugging me in his bear hug that can almost crack ribs. For his gentle nature, Fishlegs was stronger than people gave him credit for.

"Make sure you Terror Mail us when Hiccup gets back." Heather adds as I nod.

"It'll be one of the first things I do." I answer softly as I close my eyes briefly and sigh. For that moment, I forgot where I was and all I could think about was holding Hiccup. I can't believe how I am feeling, like a literal weakness. I don't feel physically weaker, but it feels like a weakness. I was a warrior, nothing could test me… well, was I? The Flightmare, Alvin and Dagur, Ryker. They had all found my weak points, my overconfidence or my caring. Attacking my home, capturing me, even then, I never felt this type of helplessness. It's not something I like feeling; like if something happened now, I'd never know.

"Astrid, are you okay?" Heather's voice rings through my ears. I break from my unhealthy thoughts; they weren't something I needed to focus on. I needed to focus on the here and now, the keeping everything safe for his return.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Go." I say softly as Heather and Fishlegs glance at each other and Heather places her hand on my shoulder.

"You know, I just remembered, I need to stay here for a while. I'll send my riders back tonight." Heather says suddenly as I shake my head.

"What, why?" I ask and she shakes her head and smiles, looking me in the eyes and raising her eyebrow.

"You said the loser had to follow the winner for a week. Well, turns out the winner needs to stay here." She restates and I shake my head and smile.

"No talking you out of it, huh?" I mutter and she shakes her head.

"Nope. I think I might be needed here more than Berserker Island. Remember, I know what it's like to be alone, and I'm not leaving you alone." She says softly and I shake my head, looking away.

"Neither of us will. You're our friend too." Fishlegs adds as the other Riders fly back in with Snotlout and the twins leading them in.

"Alright, Chiefess. Your riders await." Heather says and tugs me along with her as we walk together to the Academy where they landed. The Gods had blessed me with a beautiful home, an amazing dragon, an irreplaceable lover and stalwart friends. I couldn't ask for anything more. This next week would go by faster than I could've hoped with Heather staying as personal support that I didn't know I needed.

*********************************

My time with Audun was a bit enlightening. It was different to hear stories about my dad from people other than Alvin or the folks around the village. That's all Audun would talk about. Stoick was one of the few who would drink with him, fight with him, laugh with him. When Stoick came with a gift every year, Audun had one prepped for him as well. Apparently, they had something of a friendship not unlike how he and Gobber were. Of course, Gobber was his right hand around the island much like he is whenever Astrid and I are both gone. I wish Astrid could be here, could hear these stories with me.

I'll be honest, it was tough, I had to keep a cool head while he told me these stories and not let the child in me out. The part of me that wanted to mourn over my lost father; I had to celebrate him like Audun was doing. We were sharing mead and sitting around the fire pit. Audun had long ago agreed to the summit, with glee. He was glad to see me taking after my father and trying to tackle the problems of the Archipelago before they became too much to handle. Like Eret suggested, he was a lot of bark and little to no bite; he was like a Gronkle who pretended to be a Nightmare.

My mind drifted amid the stories and I glanced around the fires at those Vikings laughing besides me, Eret among them but one voice was noticeably absent from my mind, Astrid's. A laugh I had grown so accustomed too, one that made me smile, one that was missing even now. I understand the idea of being able to do things without your loved ones, being able to make memories without them and sharing those memories with them but that wasn't this. And after the close call with the Trappers, it was just more noticeable how I was feeling. I knew what I was doing was important, for the good of the clan, but it was a trial for me, Eret noticed it at the end of the night.

"Chief, we're almost done." He says confidently. "Three more stops. Two of them are merely formalities as I recall." Eret adds.

"Yeah, formalities. We still don't know much about the Mongrel Tribe beyond what we learned from them when they entered our waters, warriors through and through. Hopefully, that means they are quick to judge the trappers as enemies and us as allies." I say softly as the night was winding down.

"Not what I meant, Chief. Look, we've befriended them all, so far. The Mongrel Tribe will be no different. Then, we make haste for Berk. Honestly, we can skip the Edge on this trip if you want. No need to draw it out, we can visit it later as a group." Eret adds and I nod softly. He knew, of course he did, Eret was far more perceptive than he led others on. He had strength, skill and cunning; he was a great friend to have. Someone I wish I would've befriended years ago, for he might've made a significant difference in the war against Viggo or Johann and Krogan.

"A group trip to the Edge could do good for everyone I think." I say, still skirting the topic as Eret shakes his head.

"For the love of Thor, Hiccup, I know things like this aren't often spoken between men, and I don't know why. But if you don't think I haven't noticed your demeanor, your wrong. You miss Astrid, and rightly so. Did I ever tell you when she captured me and demanded I take her to Drago because that's where she thought you were? You were the only thing on her mind. I know it's weird hearing this from a man, but it shouldn't be. Expressing or sharing emotions is not a weakness; letting them control you is." Eret says in a soft but stern voice, like he was an older brother talking to a younger one; or that's maybe how I wanted to view it. My only experience with siblings was Viggo and Ryker and the Twins. Not a great comparison in either respect.

"You're not wrong." I admit. "This has challenged me in ways I didn't expect. We've been apart before, for a day here or there. Not with so much on the line. An enemy at sea, half a dozen tribes coming together for Solstice to meet, to unite. We have to handle them before they organize completely." I say, still not really touching the topic he mentioned. It was a subtle taboo for men to speak of their emotions to other men. I can't really explain why or justify it. We were growing as a culture; we shouldn't be afraid to express that side of ourselves. Either way, Eret knew he wouldn't get much more out of me that night and we resigned to sleep there.

The next morning, we opted to head straight for the Mongrel Tribe, the one that was the wild card. Get them out of the way and then invite the others formally. The trip from the Shivering Shores to the Mongrel Tribe was over half the day, and we arrived in midafternoon. The Mongrel Tribe had almost as many ships outfitted for battle as Berk and the Berserkers did combined. With them, our fleets would match, and possibly surpass the Trappers.

Nikora Stormheart of the Mongrel Tribe was one we had encountered before, and she had reclaimed an Island we dubbed Auction Island, where Viggo held his Dragon Auctions; the one that we crashed anyways. She and her sister, Eir, were cold hearted and ruthless. They weren't together originally but they seem to have mended their differences. They had tried to take advantage of dragons and others in recent years after Drago killed their parents. We have had no contact with them since they left our waters of the Archipelago and returned to the Great Beyond. They weren't hunters, but they were not good people. They had hearts of warriors and minds of hunters; it made for a dangerous combination. Johann had tricked us, like always, to attack them and they retaliated. This was before we knew hew as in league with Krogan, and after that brief adventure, they reclaimed Auction Island and holed up. We could only hope that they weren't aligned with the Trappers, and the warlords. We landed on the docks as usual, and found ourselves again, surrounded with both Nikora and Eri close in tow.

"The rumors of the Nightfury were true. You've some nerve, Hiccup, coming here. Are you forfeiting your life?" Nikora snarls and I sigh. Obviously, she had not yet forgiven or forgotten our past while we were at the Edge. I saw Eret tense up and I shook my head, raising my hand and patting Toothless with the other.

"Nikora, have you been watching these waters? The trappers that infest them?" I ask sternly as she narrows her eyes and purses her lips. That was answer enough. "They are the remnants of Drago Bludvist's army. Both he and Krogan are dead. Now, Three Warlords have taken command and are spreading through the archipelago like a plague. Align with us. I am setting up a summit of Chieftains a week after the beginning of the Winter Solstice. Join us." I ask as she scowls.

"What exactly are you purposing?" Nikora growls.

"I am the Chief of the Hooligan Tribe, my father fell, to Drago. I saw Drago's life ended thereafter." I state and for the briefest of moments, I see Nikora and Eri's face both soften. They had lost their parents to that madman, and now we had common ground even if it was through shared pain. "The Chiefs of the Berserkers, The Outcasts, the Hysterics and Hymir, the Defenders of the Wing and Wingmaidens have all been invited to join us at a Summit of Chiefs, unlike any held since Drago attacked the last summit. Here, we will unite and purge them from our waters, hopefully forming a truce between our peoples in the process." I state.

"Any enemy of Drago and his kind are friends of mine, though you are no friend, you attacked us first." Nikora states. "After we offered you peace."

"Johann had manipulated all of us; and you were dealing in dragons. We couldn't allow that. That makes you as bad as Drago." I state.

"Easy, Chief." Eret says softly as Nikora steps forward and levels a staff towards me.

"Watch your mouth. Nightfury or not, compare me to that murderer again and I'll feed you and your dragon to Scauldron." Nikora states.

"How did Krogan die." Eri says curtly as I glance to her and sigh.

"He was my prisoner and escaped; it was him or me and I killed him." I explain, omitting the graphic details. Eri seemingly widens her eyes and glances to Nikora.

"Maybe we had you figured wrong. We don't deal in dragons anymore. You've made that trade challenging. Those who oppose such are stronger, bolder. We've changed our methods and leave dragons be." Nikora explains.

"Then we can be allies." I state and she glances to her sister.

"Possibly. But don't count on it. You're just lucky I hate Drago more than I hate you." Nikora growls as I shrug.

"I'll take what victories I can. So, can we expect you at the Summit?" I ask and she returns to gaze to her sister and nods.

"Fine." She answers curtly as I then explain where the summit will be and when to arrive. She nods and then orders us to leave. We obviously wouldn't be staying on the island this night and we didn't have enough time to rest. We'd have to make a pit stop on the Edge anyways, as a central area in the Great Beyond, it only made sense. We never tore it down, so it should still be standing.

Leading Eret to the Edge, it was near dark when we arrived, and I could see the dark silhouettes of the buildings we had spent years on building. It was exactly as I remembered it, barren with nothing more than wooden furniture but that was enough. The stables still stood; the twins house was partially destroyed but I think that was from them when we left. Astrid's and my hut were fine. It was like I was back in my teenage years again and it just made me want to see Astrid even more. Eret did his part to take my mind off of it, complimenting what he could see, reminding me I wasn't alone, and he was there. Almost done, two more stops. I'd be home in a couple days, maybe three or four at most. And all I could think of was holding her in my arms and forgetting anything else about that day. It helped keep me warm even amid the cold, freezing wind on the Edge.


	76. Staying Strong

The night on the Edge was slower than I would've liked, it was barren, though familiar. I had trouble sleeping and wound up walking the old wooden ramps, stairs. I remember the story from Astrid about when she and the twins had to stay here alone and build some of the stairs, then defend the Edge. It had grown steadily over the years we occupied it, especially for those several months that Heather was with us; we built her own hut much to Snotlout's dismay.

The moon was high in the sky and even Toothless was fast asleep, having been tuckered out from our heavy flying. We had been island hopping for several days now, I'll be honest I was pushing it faster than it needed to go, I wanted to get home. I think Toothless knew that too, but when he got the chance to rest, he took it. Eret and Skullcrusher were equally tired and none of them noticed me walking out of the stables. By this point, I was sitting outside the clubhouse. It was dark and cold, but the skies were clear, and the moon was large. The scene over the water was beautiful, and it made me let out a long-drawn sigh.

"I never expected these things to be so hard." I mutter softly to myself before glancing up in the sky towards the moon. "I miss you dad; I'll finish this so you can rest in peace in Valhalla and I can live in peace with Astrid." I say as I gaze up. Hopefully, he was watching over me from the Halls of the Gods. Shaking my head as I glance back down at the water, I gaze out for a long while before making my way back to the stables. That morning, we first went to Wingmaiden Island where we met up with Atali and Minden. It didn't take much to get them on board.

"We'd be honored to attend; you know these summits in the past have usually been led by a Chief of Chiefs. Will you be that Chief, Hiccup?" Atali asks as I shift and shrug.

"Eh, not by choice." I admit as she smiles.

"That's why it has to be you. You are a strong and wise leader and have been an excellent friend to the Wingmaidens." Atali adds as Minden steps forward.

"Speaking to that, how, uh, how has Snotlout been?" She asks awkwardly and I laugh lightly, smiling.

"Snotlout has been fine, still basically the same he has been." I offer as she nods. I can tell she wants to ask more but doesn't know how too, the Wingmaidens being an all-female tribe, I had to question how they even kept that track going. It's not like you can control the gender of the baby given by the Gods. But I don't question that, and instead accept it as something I can't know.

"Well, uh, you should take him the next time you visit us. Been a long time since we've seen all of you." Minden adds, correcting her statement awkwardly as Atali smiles.

"I can arrange that, this is Eret's first time out this far on the wings of a dragon. After this summit, I'll take all the riders on a long ride back through the Great Beyond, once the Trappers are dealt with and we can actually find peace among our neighbors." I state

"Wise decision, you show a wisdom well beyond your years and it is needed in this age. Let me just say that I will support your bid for Chief of Chiefs, and if you don't table it yourself, I will table it for you." Atali says. She was old enough to be my mother and had led the Wingmaidens for decades, she was proud and good, and I welcomed her support.

"Thank you, Atali." I say simply with a smile. "How are the baby Razorwhips?" I ask as the one curled on Atali's back coos.

"They are well, in fact, Wingnut here is almost due to be released, and our next ceremony will take place next summer. We'd be honored if you joined us?" Atali asks as I nod.

"It'd be our pleasure! I remember that last ceremony with Astrid and the others, it was something really special." I say, remembering the unspoken words Astrid and I shared at that time. Our relationship was still in its infancy then and it was one of the more beautiful things we'd seen in that early stage, together. I can still feel her hand in mine. My wandering mind must've etched on my face as Atali surprises me.

"And how is Astrid?" Atali then asks and I feel my breath hitch as I sigh.

"She's good, she wasn't happy that I asked her to stay on Berk instead of coming with me on this envoy mission. I needed her at home to know it was safe; it's been hard, I think, for both of us." I admit and she nods.

"How long have you two been at sea?" Minden asks as I glance to Eret who looks up and nods his head.

"Eight days, I think. We've had to stop here and there between islands, we stopped at the Edge as well. Plus staying at most other places overnight. We weren't welcome at the Mongrel Tribe's area overnight though." Eret explains as Minden and Atali's faces harden.

"The Mongrel Tribe has always been a tribe of elitist warriors who want everything done their way. Luckily, since reclaiming Auction Island from what was left of the Hunters, they have left more of their piracy and raiding ways behind them." Atali says, which I believe as she lives far closer to them than we do. Her face then softens as she smiles. "Just one more stop, maybe two more days, then you will be home. Will she be accompanying you to the Summit?" Atali then asks as I nod.

"As my General, yes." I state and Minden cocks her eyebrow.

"Not your Chiefess, yet?" Minden asks and I stammer.

"Ah, no. We've decided against marrying until after the trappers are dealt with. Though many people around us seem to like to offer their input." I say sarcastically as she, Atali and Eret all laugh.

"While I understand your reasoning, Hiccup, I would venture to say that is an unnecessary precaution. I respect your and Astrid's decision, and we shall not mention it further if it makes you uncomfortable." Atali says, stepping in as Minden nods.

"It's just awkward how it seems to be a focal point of conversation recently." I admit and she nods, smiling.

"It's obvious to everyone how dedicated you are to each other; indeed, one of the reasons we aligned with you in the first place was due largely to your deference and respect for her specifically. It was so in contrast to what we were used too, you helped widen our own gaze." Atali states, matter-of-factually. "Until we met you, Astrid and the others, we were set in our ways and held men in low regard. Snotlout's introduction didn't do much to change that, yours did. I think your first words when you saw Astrid with us on that rock was; "are we okay?" I saw the concern and trust in your eyes that day." Atali says.

"I- Thank you." I stammer.

"I'd suggest you head to the Defender's Island sooner rather than later if you want to cut your time away gone. The waters should be clear." Minden then adds, glancing to Atali who nods.

"You, of course, are welcome to stay here but I imagine you are in no rush to prolong this trip. Go with Frigga's blessings and know we will support you at this Summit." Atali adds as I smile and nod.

"Thank you both." I say as Eret and I ready ourselves to take off. We were flying for a long while before Eret pulls up next to me and glances behind him.

"I guess I didn't know what to expect from an island of Wingmaidens. What gaze did you widen?" Eret asks as I shrug.

"They used to be extremely particular regarding me, so far as to go they wouldn't even associate with them or allow them on their island. Snotlout had said something to Astrid that made her ready to legitimately kill him, so he ran away for a day to let her cool off. Ended up going there and thought he wound up in Valhalla; he said some things he claims were taken out of context and they were going to kill him. Astrid suggested it be her, Heather and Ruffnut to go the island, as it was one of all women. The rest you sort of heard. Since then, they've revisited their views on men, even Snotlout and Minden had a brief infatuation that I thought was dead but apparently Minden still thinks of him." I explain as Eret nods.

"Well, one more stop, Chief. You've been doing well, I can say. I know it's probably been chaos in your mind, but you keep a calm head really well." Eret adds as I laugh lightly. It really was chaos up here. I was setting up a massive meeting of Chiefs, had no idea what I was doing, had a war to deal with, was away from Astrid and wanted her with me more than anything. Just one more stop til I can hold her in my arms, just one more. We've been apart for longer, but it felt different this time, we were intimate now.

This would be the last stop, Defenders of the Wing Island where I expected only Throk to be but there was a chance either Mala or Mala and Dagur could be there as well. If so, I may well convince them to fly back with us. Those two travel more than even I do; on the back of a dragon almost a full week out of a given month, traveling across the Archipelago together between their islands. Dagur and Eret both were like older brothers to me by now.

*********************************

As that day wound down, I returned to our home, the home I had unofficially moved into for months now. It was perfect for the two of us, and even had a larger room we didn't use that could easily be converted to a pair of rooms... just for future planning. There was a perch for Stormfly, a slab for Toothless. The upper attic room was ours; I had since claimed part of it with almost all of my stuff from my parents' house. I had received so little resistance from them it almost shocked me, as though they were at peace with me and Hiccup being intimate, living together. I'm sure most of the village suspected as much but no one would say anything. I can't help but blush slightly as I think on it, we aren't exactly quiet either. The private forge room is nearly sound-proofed but that wasn't the case with the house.

It was quiet, darkly lit and I was gazing around, it seemed like longer than it really had been. In actuality, it had barely been a week, yet it felt like a month. The overwhelming urge to fly out to him was palpable but fortunately I didn't have to stand in my silence for long as I heard a loud banging on the front door that I was still standing next too. It shook me out of my fried mind state and I turned on my heel to open it. I was quickly surprised by a large fist that was coming back down on the door before it stopped as Fishlegs, Heather, Snotlout and the Twins had all come to the door.

"Uh, what's going on?" I ask as Fishlegs lowers his hand in an awkward laugh.

"Ah-ha-ha, sorry. Well, uh, we decided, since we didn't see you at dinner in the Hall to" Fishlegs stammers his way through it as Heather steps forward with one hand on Fishlegs shoulder and the other holding a basket.

"We decided we'd come here and share it with you." Heather states as I smile and shake my head.

"I wasn't really hungry-" I begin before Heather's hand finds my shoulder.

"Thanks for inviting us in." Heather says sweetly, though forcibly and I remember that intense berserker attitude she has always had, that confidence. I admired it. I was confident, strong and sharp too, but she exuded confidence where I didn't as much. I certainly didn't come off as weak, but not as confident as her. I just smile and nod, rolling my eyes and stepping back as they pour in.

"Excellent! Party at the Chief's! Let's toss his room?!" Tuffnut yells as he runs in, holding another basket.

"Uh, no." I call out as he groans.

"She can't stop all of us!" Snotlout adds with a mischievous grin as I smack my forehead.

"Watch me, Snotlout. I can and will. Sit down, shut up and drink some mead." I state, pointing to the table as Snotlout grumbles and sits. He knew I can totally back up my threats, as I have almost done several times before. Meanwhile, Heather and Fishlegs both laugh at the comment as they sit with the twins filling up a grouping of mugs. As everyone sits down and spreads out the food, Tuffnut clasps his hands and looks directly at Fishlegs.

"Alright, real talk, no avoiding the rumblehorn in the room, and no that wasn't about your weight." He says with a gritty laugh. "Are you two, like, a thing now?" Tuffnut asks looking to Fishlegs and Heather who shift uncomfortably.

"Uhhh, it's uhm, in the development stage.." Fishlegs stutters, glancing to Heather who nods, smiling.

"Catching up since I returned to Berserker and he came back to Berk. Life was hectic for a while." Heather adds.

"And what about your wife-of-one-day! You just going to leave Ruffnut in the wind! For shame." Tuffnut exclaims as Ruffnut cries obviously fake tears.

"For the last time, You Can't Marry Anyone." Snotlout groans, widening his hands before turning to Heather. "And you mean to tell me, you'd go for Fishlegs over this?" He says, flexing as I scoff, and Heather shakes her head.

"You don't want an answer to that, Snotlout." Heather says with a smile before pointing to Ruffnut. "Besides, Ruffnut is in obvious need of your comfort." Heather teases as I see Ruffnut glance up through her fake tears with a mischievous grin before she almost literally jumps on Snotlout."

"Hold Me! I'm So Sad!" She exclaims as Snotlout pushes her back.

"Hey, woah! Personal Space! What is going on!?" Snotlout shouts in confusion as everyone else laughs. I feel Heather nudge me and i glance to her as she nods.

"Thank you." I mutter under my breath; I didn't need to be alone and this was better for my state of mind. Muttonheads, though they may be, they were our muttonheads. I can see her mouth the words "'no problem.'

"What about you, Tuff? When are you going to start looking for romance." Heather asks as I scoff. The idea of either of the twins in romantic situations was just odd to me.

"Hey, don't you scoff, A. I'll have you know the Nut Family comes from a long line of proper romance! We're just not normally the settling down types, ya know? Plus," he glances to Ruff before shrugging. "They'd need to be willing to commit to the ways of Loki. The Snot comes close, maybe, but that is a hard ask. Few can properly channel their inner Loki. H can when he wants too." Tuff explains as I shake my head with a smile.

"Yeah, I know. Trust me." I admit. Hiccup could be quite devious when he wanted to be, I remember several times when he did things I didn't expect or, in other terms, Loki'd someone. It was usually an end all sort of thing, too.

"Speaking of, where is our fearless Leader. When is he due back?" Snotlout asks, glancing to me.

"Anywhere from tomorrow to a week from now." I mutter, and I didn't mean to sound so downtrodden. The others noticed it too.

"I'm sure our good Chiefly one has been gone for longer periods of time in the past, why is our fearless General so verklempt?" Tuffnut says as he holds up his finger and we all turn and glance at him.

"Ver-what?" Snotlout asks, befuddled, and for once, it wasn't a stupid question.

"Verklempt is when one is so overcome with emotions, they feel choked to clenched up to those around them." Ruffnut says

"And our dear general has been so obviously displaying such. The mind is a terrible thing to waste." Tuffnut adds, pointing to Snotlout as I actually laugh. These two knew the most random things; they are a far cry from the children who couldn't be bothered to read during Dragon Training when we still killed them. No, now, while some of the most annoying, they were arguably some of the more intelligent among us. Even if that intelligence was not practically applied, it sure did make conversations more entertaining.

"Sure, we've all been away from each other for varying times, but you have to see this from her perspective. Since the dragons, Hiccup has just always been there with Astrid. I noticed it when I first came here. A few days gone here or there over the course of a decade is one thing. Becoming betrothed, spending almost every moment with someone then having them gone… it can be rough." Heather adds as she glances to me and I shrug.

"For Thor's sake, I'm fine. Can we change subjects, please? How about tomorrow's Dragon Race?" I ask and the table immediately erupts into a cheer.

"Oh, yes!" Tuffnut exclaims

"What you thinking?" Ruffnut adds as I smile, leaning into the table.

"Here is my thought, teams. And how perfectly, we have four dragons at this table. Fishlegs and Heather versus The twins and Snotlout." I state before turning to Snotlout. "If you guys could actually try to win this time." I tease and he grumbles.

"And what'll you be doing?" Snotlout retorts.

"Oh, I'll be racing too." I state with a grin as I think to who my partner could be. Valka had really recovered recently, and I'm sure she'd love to try a race.

"And who is your partner going to be?" Ruffnut asks, leaning in as I shrug.

"It'll be a surprise for tomorrow. We'll have Gobber officiate." I add as they shake their collective heads and I grin.

"Something tells me we may have our work cut out for us, Fishlegs." Heather says and he nods.

"Yeah, you might be right, but honestly…" Fishlegs says before pausing and leaning into Heather while looking at me and whispering something I can barely hear as she smiles and nods.

"I agree." She answers as I narrow my eyes.

"No, no. Not in my house." I state sternly as they gaze back at me. Even the twins and Snotlout were looking at me after my sudden statement and it befuddled me briefly while thinking about it. I had said my house. That was likely the first verbal admission I had no plans to go back to living with my parents.

"Ah-HA! So the secret's out! Our General has laid claim to our Chief's Hut!" Tuffnut exclaims as Ruffnut groans.

"Gawh, you guys are like, too much. First your little volcano kiss, then the constant sparring and midnight flights on the edge together. Now, shared house. Are you sure you're not married, and we just weren't invited?" Ruffnut recounts as I blink.

"How'd you know about-?" I say before she cuts me off.

"Uh, I am a very aware person, Astrid." She states and squints one eye at me before laughing with her brother. Ignoring them, I look back to Heather who is laughing lightly.

"So, spill it." I state and she shakes her head.

"Later. Beat us at the race, and I will." Heather offers as I furrow my brow and frown. "It's nothing bad, I promise." She adds as I sigh.

"Fine. One well-deserved tail sighting coming up. I'll make sure to gloss Stormfly's tail, so that you have a good view." I state playfully as she chuckles and shakes her head.

"Oh-ho-ho, it's on, sister." She states playfully and we smack our forearms together and laugh.

The rest of the night went by well, and I was glad they were all there. They ended up filtering out of the house around midnight and I was fortunately tired enough to drift off into sleep in our bed without worry. It felt empty without him in it, but I could still feel him, or dream of him; his scent, our scent was there. It made drifting off to sleep much easier and for tonight, I could sleep with a smile. I'd ask Valka in the morning, she usually woke up before everyone else anyways, like I did.


	77. Coming Home

That morning I woke up feeling decently better, having a collection of my friends, as weird a bunch as we all can be, with me really did help. Heather staying and being close was also something that really helped me, just knowing they were all there, even if I didn't think I needed it at the time. Not unlike when they all slept outside with me after my house was burnt down back when Dagur was still our enemy. Thor knows how the times have changed since then, and I'll never forget the support Hiccup showed, it was an unspoken thing between the other riders, and I'm sure Hiccup shot them a glance or two, but it still meant more than I could explain. When he stayed during my training of the auxiliary team, I was so caught up in it all, I didn't think about me, but he did.

After the wake up, I saddled Stormfly and we went on a morning flight around island and surrounding sea stacks. It was refreshing, feeling the cold air rush past my face and really helped wake me up and clear my head. The sun was barely rising, and I was able to see it crest the horizon on the back of Stormfly. Sometimes, when the skies were clear and we were high up, the horizon almost seemed to curve beyond the dots the pepper the sea around us to the greater blue beyond. It was a challenge to ever go that high, it got harder to breathe, and it always made me wonder what other mysteries Thor's world held. We've gone so far as Riders, explored so much of the Archipelago and beyond that there had to be more. I was suddenly reminded of when Hiccup wouldn't give up and we were all pushed to go to the Great Beyond. Pushed is the wrong word really, his enthusiasm, his drive is intoxicating and can get the better of most around him, and he was right.

Since Eret had joined us, he's told us stories about visiting what he called the mainland; he described it as a desolate place larger than any island in the sea, filled with warring factions and turmoil. It wasn't a place I really wanted to visit, even if the very thought of such a large plot of land was intriguing. I couldn't imagine going to such a place where life was in constant peril or where the sea wasn't around me. One thing that would become a reality is that exploring the greater reaches of the world would come to an end as Hiccup and I came closer and closer to settling. As his parents, or my own would say, we have enough to worry about within our own waters. After my flight, as the sun crested, I headed to the stables where Valka usually roamed now that she could walk again. Gothi's herbal medicines were a thing of wonders and barring a slight limp, it seems Valka was healing well. I found her quickly in the pens with Cloudjumper by her side.

"Valka, I see your doing well, how is the leg?" I ask, walking up to her as she smiles.

"Oh, hello, Astrid. Still tender but recovering rather nicely. How are you on this morning?" Valka asks

"I'm doing good, just another day. Speaking to that, I've got an idea for you, if you're feeling up for it." I begin as she cocks her head and shrugs.

"Shoot, my dear." She says and I nod.

"Well, we're doing another dragon race today in teams. Fishlegs and Heather, the Twins and Snotlout. I plan to race today as well, and I'd like you to be my partner if you're willing." I suggest and she smiles.

"Oh, I'd love to race with my future daughter-in-law. It's been a while since Cloudjumper was able to spread his wings like that. Two sharp-class dragons... they won't stand a chance." She answers with an unfaltering grin.

"Great! After breakfast I will start rounding everyone up then." I say as she nods.

"Alright, I will see you there, then." She answers and I smile, taking off on Stormfly.

And to that end, breakfast was next and after that it was a matter of getting everyone rallied for the next race. The beauty of the past few years is that the people have really come together as a whole. There have been naysayers here and there, a couple who didn't like Hiccup for varying reasons who were rooted out and either left or changed. All in all, the people of Berk believed Hiccup had their best interests at heart so when he needed something done, they did it. It showed when he wasn't there as well, because everyone seemed to chip in now. With us at peace with our major two neighbors for years, the dragons and our own waters, if the trappers were dealt with, we may know true times of peace. Times when our flying war machines, as Snotlout would say, could instead be flying freely without a cause for war. It was something to look forward too, and ultimately it was the greed of humans that always seemed to get in the way.

After the flight, breakfast and morning work, it was a short order to get people to the stands for some racing. The people of Berk had grown quite fond of Dragon Races over the years, even before our time at the Edge and the Great Beyond. It was an excellent replacement for the Regatta, gave the village something exciting to watch and vent on. I tracked down Gobber on his way there with Mulch and Bucket and flagged them down, landing next to the trio and pulling them to the side.

"Gobber, I'll be racing today so I need you to officiate it. Bucket, Mulch, if you'd be our announcers like normal?" I say, glancing between them as the pair shrug and Gobber narrows his eyes.

"And what is this race exactly, ye haven't given out any details yet." Gobber asks and I smile a snarky smile.

"I guess you'll need to know to officiate and announce. It'll be a team race, this time. The Twins and Snotlout vs Heather and Fishlegs vs myself and Valka." I say simply as they all blink a couple times.

"Wait, I thought Heather left with the other Berserkers?" Mulch asks

"And I though Valka was recovering?" Gobber adds

"Oh! Everyone's being negative again, was it my fault?" Bucket says randomly as I shake my head and almost laugh.

"No, and yes to both those. Heather decided to stay until Hiccup returns, and Valka is recovering but she is good for the race." I explain as Gobber narrows his eyes further. "I didn't pressure her or anything, I swear. Plus, I needed to get back into the saddle anyways." I add and Gobber nods.

"O'very well, as ye say, Chiefess." He states and moves away with the others as I stand there, momentarily frozen again. That word, it was something hard to get used too, the implications of it. Was I really a Chiefess, Berk's Chiefess? Why were we waiting to be married again, why did the trapper threat matter? It didn't, did it? Was it just an excuse, a reason to justify waiting? No, it couldn't have been, we both wanted to be married by this point. I couldn't even imagine my life, my world without him in it. So, what was I afraid of? Random bouts of awkwardness? Was I ready for it, were we? The thoughts and questions flew through my mind like a tornado and only served to confuse me. Shaking my head, I glance up and smile, hoping on Stormfly and taking off. There'd be time to deal with those thoughts after I had Hiccup back.

I found the other riders already at the stables, to include Valka who was patting Cloudjumper on the side as Snotlout gave me a dirty look.

"So not fair, Astrid. You asked her to be your partner?!" He exclaims and I smile.

"Why yes, yes I did. Is that a problem?" I ask and he releases a defeated sigh. He knew how this race would go. I did too. Heather and Fishlegs both took Valka's arrival in stride, the twins did as well.

Soon thereafter, the races began. The goal was again capturing sheep and as expected, Valka and I lead to a dominating beginning with the few laps being nearly complete wipeouts. We won the first race outright. I had no idea that Hiccup's mother had a competitive side, but it was like I was seeing a new side of her and it made me glad she was my soon to be mother in law more and more. Her and Cloudjumper moved with the practiced precision of battling trappers and Drago for years and it showed. The large Stormcutter was a force to be reckoned with and almost dwarfed Hookfang, though still had the speed of Stormfly. It was a marvelous combination and by third race in the afternoon, we went easier on them to give one of them a chance to win and now it was a matter of who got the Black Sheep.

The last lap soon came, and we raced around the island, Snotlout had nabbed the black sheep, unwilling to give up and wanting to at least beat Fishlegs and Heather who were beating them. It was a dodgy race for a while, with Snotlout and Heather arguing for the black sheep in the air. I saw my opportunity and Stormfly launched me over their dragons so I could nab the sheep myself and then land on her back. It was such a rush to feel that again and as I rounded the corner, I scored the black sheep in our holster, landing to the sound of applause and… blasts? Blinking, I turn and look where Hiccup and my seats usually are and standing there, I see Hiccup next to Toothless. The Nightfury had just unleased several blasts of victory as Hiccup was looking at me, smiling and clapping. I don't remember running to him or saying anything, but I soon lost myself as I felt his arms wrap around me.

*********************************

I was pleasantly surprised to see Dagur and Mala both at the Defenders of the Wing Island, and they were quick to greet Eret and I as we landed. The villages had really come together, and I could already see the changes as Berserkers seemed to be calling this island home now. Even Throk had seemed to take a Berserker for his wife, which was a good thing we talked to him during our time at the Edge. Berserkers would've taken even less kindly to his way of thought for courting than Astrid did, boy was that a weird day.

"Brother! What a surprise!? What brings you this far out?" Dagur says, taking me in a huge hug. "And you, Eret. Traveling on a nostalgia trip with Hiccup?" He adds

"Actually, I've been visiting various islands and inviting the tribes to the Summit we had talked briefly about. This is my last stop before I return home." I explain

"Though, Hiccup did show me to the Edge, though we only saw it briefly at night. We've been out at sea for a little over a week and I think" Eret adds as I nod along. Dagur's face drops.

"A week out? Where's Astrid?" Mala asks for Dagur as he looks almost softly towards me.

"Uh, yeah. I, she's back at Berk, making sure it's safe." I admit and Dagur clicks his tongue.

"I'm surprised she was okay with that to be honest." He admits and I shake my head.

"Ah, well, she wasn't. I wasn't either, really. I remember how you felt when we dropped the metal off at the Armorwing Dragon and I feel a lot like that." I explain and Dagur places his hand on my shoulder.

"I understand all too well, brother. I never thought I'd find love before meeting Mala, and even then, thought I hated her initially. Now, its painful to be apart for long, that's why we travel together on Sleuther." Dagur says, trying to console me as I nod. Sleuther had really taken to Dagur and that was good, Dagur was good to that dragon and since Shattermaster's injury, he's lived a life of relative luxury on Berserker Island.

"Well, if this is your last stop before you return home, Hiccup, let's get you on your way quickly then." Mala says with a smile before adding. "As you know, the Defenders would be honored to join your summit. Dagur has told me some about it, and I understand I am to bring my second. As Dagur and Heather will represent the Berserkers, Throk and myself will represent the Defenders."

"Who else is coming, brother?" Dagur then asks as I glance to Eret and shrug.

"Oh, uh.. Well, the Wingmaidens, the Outcasts. I've also invited the Hymir tribe and the Tribe of the Shivering Shores. I've also invited the Hysterics and the Mongrel Tribe. So, with the Berserkers and Defenders and then Berk, that's nine that'll be represented as the strongest powers in the Archipelago and beyond." I explain and I can see both Mala and Dagur visible contort at the mention of the Mongrel Tribe

"The Mongrels, eh? I'm surprised they agreed, considering their history with you." Mala states, fully aware of our run ins while at the Edge thanks to Johann's misinformation schemes.

"Uh, yeah, so was I." I admit, glancing between the two. The Mongrels were certainly no one's friend, they had rubbed many tribes the wrong way in recent years though they were still a force to be respected. Much like the Berserkers and Defenders in that regard, they had some spec of honor to them and lived for battle.

"They were a tad hostile, and we weren't welcomed to stay overnight but they recognized the threat the trappers pose. With them gone, the dragons and people of the Archipelago may actually know true peace." Eret adds as Mala narrows her eyes at him.

"Strong words coming from a former trapper. Wise ones though, I hope you are right." She says before turning to me. "While I question inviting the Mongrel Tribe, I won't question you. Are you prepared? Summits like this are usually led by the Chief of Chiefs, and as the organizer, rider of the alpha and friend to both people and dragons, that Chief should be you." Mala adds as I nod, internally sighing as yet another of my allies says the same thing.

"Of course, he's ready, he's Hiccup! All the times I tried to best him and failed, I'd accept no one else as the Head Chief, except maybe you, my beloved." Dagur says, nuzzling to Mala who nuzzles back as they share a kiss and my heart drops slightly as I close my eyes. I wanted to hold Astrid in my arms more than anything right now and these two love birds weren't helping anything.

"I am prepared for that… as much as I would rather it be anyone else, it seems that many want it to be me. If I have your support during the summit, I will accept it." I resign through a sigh.

"You have my support, brother." Dagur responds a moment later, pulling away from Mala.

"You have mine as well." Mala adds

"I thank you both. It's set to take place after the Solstice, I'll send a terror mail with more information, this was serving as a formal invitation." I finish and they nod.

"Consider it accepted, now go home. I'm sure Astrid misses you." Mala says softly

"And I can tell you miss her, get going." Dagur adds in a brotherly tone as I nod, smiling.

"Thank you both. Come on, Eret, let's head back home." I say, turning to Eret who nods.

"Right behind ya, Chief." Eret says and with that, we hop on our dragons and take back off.

Leaning into Toothless, I pat him on the side as I feel the wing beat against my body. "Let's get home quick, bud. I'm sure you want to see Astrid almost as badly as I do, right?" I ask as I hear him coo in response and suddenly our pace increases as I hear Eret pat Skullcrusher behind me.

"Come on, boy! Let's keep up!" He calls to his dragon as I smile, looking forward at the horizon.

The flight back seemed to take longer than normal even though I knew we were going faster than normal. Toothless was hurriedly flying to the point that Skullcrusher was having trouble keeping up but still managing to fly on my wing. My only thought now was returning home and to her, seeing Berk and her again. I could almost see her faced etched in the clouds above, like everything around me just served to remind me of her and it made me want to go faster.

We must've raced across the sea in record time before sometime after midday, I saw the island of Berk on the horizon and both Toothless and I felt invigorated as he sped up again, this time pulling ahead of Skullcrusher. As we got closer, I saw silhouettes of dragons circling the island and my heart dropped as my first thought was that they were under attack. As we closed, I noticed a much different event happening as it was Dragon Races, and my mother was racing! Eret and I hovered well above them, out of the eyeshot of those in the stands or the racers who had no reason to look this high, I just watched Astrid and my mother dominate the others in what seemed like a team race. Right as the last lap started, I darted down with Toothless and stood on the stands near Gobber, holding my finger to my lips and nodding to him as he smiled and nodded. I could hear Bucket and Mulch announcing as I watched Astrid preform one of her aerial leaps to take the black sheep from Snotlout and Heather before landing on Stormfly. She was incredible, and I could watch her for hours with a smile on my face.

The stands erupted into applause as she scored and landed, patting Toothless on the side, I nodded up and he fired a series of three blasts into the sky. I saw Astrid stiffen as she turned from the stands, she was looking at and looked at me, my smile widening as I clap. Her face a mixture of controlled tears and an uncontrolled smile. "Hiccup?" I heard her croak as she seems to stifle a sigh and rushes towards me.

No sooner had I opened my arms did she literally leap into them, her arms wrapping around my neck as her legs wrap around my waist while she buries her face in my neck. My own arms around her lower back as I nestle into her shoulder and we both completely forgot where we were, or we just didn't care at that point. She was warm, her scent, her warmth, her breath, I hadn't realized up until now how much I truly missed it, even for only a week.

She pulls her head back and our lips meet as we stay standing there for a moment, and I lose myself as I feel her lips once again pressed to mine. Her forehead finds mine as our lips part and she slinks down to stand on her own legs again, her arms still wrapped around my neck.

"I missed you too." I whisper as she smiles, nodding.

"I'm glad you are back." She answers and leans in for another light kiss as I feel the thump of a large dragon landing next to us.

"Welcome back, son, how was your trip?" I hear my mother ask as Astrid and I pull apart. I can see Gobber walking up to us as I nod and smile.

"Mom, I'm glad you are looking better. It went well, all in all, there will be nine tribes at the summit. There, we can discuss how to properly deal with the trappers." I say as my mother nods.

"Excellent news, well, I'm sure it's been a while since you've slept in a real bed. Astrid, honey, why don't you take him home. Any other news can wait until tomorrow." My mother says and I glance at Astrid who smiles.

"That's what I was thinking, too." Astrid admits, gazing into my eyes and I smile, nodding.

"Home it is." I say softly and together, we hop on our dragons and make our way out of the stands as Gobber, Bucket and Mulch continue announcing random things to keep everyone distracted. Astrid and I had other plans in mind.


	78. Together Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

It wasn't a surprise to anyone really that neither Astrid nor I were around for long after I landed. I guess, thinking on it, I wasn't being very chiefly in practice. I often delegated daily duties to Gobber, my mother, Astrid or even the other Riders. With so much going on recently, between the remnants of Drago's army and the newfound Summit less than a month away, the daily duties of Berk had taken a back seat. Fortunately, the people had really stepped up over the years and where once it might've been hard to prepare for winter or trading season, now it was almost automatic. They knew the stakes.

But tonight, tonight wasn't a night to worry about that. Tonight, was a night to refresh. I remember when we used to be out at sea for days, staying on random islands and just existing while we roamed in search of dragons. I still have that drive, but I feel like it's matured, especially with Toothless's new role as the Alpha and mine as Chief, we can't be the wayward explorers that we used to be. Looking at the way of things now, I realize that it was my own insistence that drove most of the riders to join me; most, if not all of them weren't the natural born explorers like I was. Even Astrid had reached her wits end before Dagur escaped the first time.

Now though, life was different. I spent my evening sitting before a fire with Astrid in my arms. The sound of Toothless cooing as he sleeps upstairs with the hitches of Stormfly as she nestles above. My arms wrapped around her waist as she has resumed her new customary spot partially in my lap as we stare at the fire pit. We had finished eating and now sat there with a pair of mugs in what is now our home. The thought of it made me smile, though I'll admit, I wasn't prepared for everything the night held.

"Tell me about your trip? How did each clan take the news?" Astrid asks softly, her fingertips gently tracing my forearms as they rest on her stomach, her head leaning back into my shoulder.

"Good, better than I expected anyways. The Mongrel Tribe had a bit of underlying hostilities to them, but it was amicable. The Shivering Shores was all too pleased. The Hymir Tribe was... different, they were glad to join us though. Of course, the Defenders, Wingmaidens and Berserkers as well. Ran into Mala and Dagur at Defenders Island. Alvin is aware of it and is going last I checked, and we spoke to the Hysterics ourselves. All in all, the summit will be nine strong." I explain as she nods along.

"In a month?" She adds lightly and I nod.

"Yeah, I'll be sending out Terror Mails beforehand." I say and she nods, taking a deep breath before turning her head to look at me.

"And after the summit?" She asks, her voice and tone unusually quiet even for this time of day. Leaning in, I press my forehead to hers and smile.

"We kick the trappers out for good, find some measure of peace and we..." I pause as she smiles.

"Get married?" She finishes and leans up, pecking me lightly on the lips before looking down with a soft gaze. "I've been thinking of that more and more recently. I still hate it when it's brought up publicly but only because I don't have a real answer..." She admits and I cock my eyebrow.

"What real answer?" I ask, unhooking my hands and taking her hands in mine, kissing her neck softly as I hear her let out a breath as I see her smile crease while she closes her eyes.

"Why we aren't married yet... I know why but, especially right now, this past week, it's made me realize something more and more. I'm stronger with you and the idea that the trappers and their war is stopping us just... isn't enough for me anymore." She says softly before turning and straddling me, her hands on my shoulders as she looks down on me with my hands now resting on her hips.

"And what're you trying to say" I ask, looking up at her with a smile. She answers me by leaning in with a long, full pressed kiss. Her tongue tracing my lips before it meets mine. I had missed her scent, her taste. I knew what she was saying but I wanted her to say it.

"I'm saying that, after this summit where I stand as your General. I want to go into battle as your wife; I want to see the Trappers expunged from our waters by the Chief and Chiefess of Berk." She says against my lips, pulling back and sitting back, still straddling me. I simply smile, she said it, I wanted it too, but she was more than that, and she knew it.

"Not just Chiefess, Chieftess. And I could think of nothing better than the married leaders of Berk, flanked by their allies, sending the Trappers to the winds for good." I say confidently as she leans in and kisses me again.

"Until then, I've missed you." She says softly against my lips, biting my lower lip and running her hands down my shoulders to my arms.

"How badly have you missed me?" I ask playfully, kissing down her neck and biting her soft spot as I hear her gasp into a light laugh.

"How about I show you." She whispers as she pulls away from my lips and pushes herself back. We had long grown into the habit of shredding most of our clothing once we turned in for the night, and this was no different. She was wearing naught but her under sashes and I only had lower leggings on; had being the operative word. Still sitting in the chair, she slid down my legs until she was on her knees in front of me, her fingertips tugging what little I had left off and revealing myself to her. We had grown accustomed to this, to exposing ourselves to each other like this, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the way she tasted when my head was between her thighs.

It had become a way to tease each other, to quicken the heartbeat, loosen some muscles while making others stiff and primed. The feeling of her lips, her tongue was insatiable, and drove me wild. It didn't take long for my hands to find her shoulders as her head moved against my hips. Closing my eyes, I arched back and gave into it, forgetting everything else but her. I felt my muscles tighten and tense and I pressed on her shoulders, pushing her back. Looking back up to me, I smile as I press her further down and she slowly falls back on her back, her head resting as her legs lay bare and spread. It was my turn, and there was no need for words now.

Crawling overtop of her, I lean in and kiss her, diving my tongue in as it entwines with hers. Her muffled moan against my lips begging for more as her hands wrap around my head and keep out lips together. This is what I had been missing, it was incredible to think that I had grown to long for this so badly, longed to be with her like this. She must've longed for it too, our lips and hands thirstily exploring one another; and it had only been barely nine days. Still, that was long enough for our youthful longing.

Kissing down her collarbone, I undue the sashes and give each of her breasts attention, taking one nipple in between my lips while massaging the other, feeling them stiffen against my tongue. Hearing her gasp as she stifles a moan, feeling her hand move up as she bites her finger and rocks her head back. Kissing my way further down to her special area, sliding my hands under her thighs and hoisting them up. My lips trailing her area before my tongue does, slinking one of my hands free to slide a finger in I hear her fail to stifle a moan as it slips out.

Hearing her moan, feeling her rock as her legs tremble and her back arches; it made me feel good to make her feel good. I hear her mutter my name as her hands trace through my hair and grip down, pressing me against her hips as she arches and rocks back and forth. It was then she let loose her pure moan of pleasure, I felt her thighs tighten as her hips shook and I could taste her. I loved doing this for her. Gently kissing my work, I kiss back up her body as she lay there trembling, her nipples still erect as I arrive and layer them with kisses and wrap my tongue around them. Her heavy breathing my guide as I find my way to her lips again and lose myself in a passionate, breathless kiss. Her hands circling around my head again, our lips connected like it was our only way to survive, the heat and sweat of the room was palpable. When our kiss finally broke, I picked my head slowly up as we panted, regaining our breath and stared into her eyes as she stared into mine. Her beautiful blue eyes filled with a love, a longing. I wasn't just staring into her eyes, I was gazing into her heart and soul; and it, like her, was beautiful to me in every way.

I loved being with him like this, it was freeing to be able to trust and expose myself in such a way without fear of judgement. Hiccup didn't judge me, he loved me for me and I for him. I can see it in his eyes, after he makes my body writhe in pleasure so, the look in his eyes isn't one that objectifies, it humanizes. He makes me feel like a woman, like a person who is in love, happy. Genuinely, top to bottom, happiness. We make a good team, we always have and we always will.

*********************************

Seeing him smile after we break our kiss, hearing and feeling his breath as we both recover from it. I loved the breathless kiss, hearing him pant and moan, it drove me like hearing me must've drove him. I bite my lip and smile as I run my hands down and up his bare chest before stopping on his shoulders and pushing him back. He goes with it and now finds himself sitting against the feet of the chair as I straddle him again, pressing my wet area against his stiff member and leaning into his neck, kissing it. I feel his hands trace up my back, his fingertips sliding up my spine making me gasp as I press down against his hips. I can feel his member throb beneath me as I kiss his neck, kissing up to his ear then his cheek before finally finding his lips. He pops his hips up mid kiss and I feel his member throb beneath me more as I laugh lightly.

"Eager?" I whisper against his lips as he only muffles a moan against mine. I feel him bite my lower lip and tug like I had to him and it makes me so flustered, he nods.

"I don't like being away from you." He answers softly as I feel his member throb again.

"Oh, really?" I tease, kissing his lips again as he groans.

"Oh, Astrid, you tease." He retorts playfully as I smile against his lips.

"Guilty." I answer smugly as I slide a hand down and slowly guide his member inside my wet sheathe. I feel his full girth as it throbs with each inch it fills. Each inch, each throb elicits a stifled moan from the both of us as his hands find my hips again and I rest mine on his shoulder.

"Ast-Astrid." I hear him mumble as his lips find mine again. I moan against his lips while our tongues entwine and slowly start rocking my hips against his. This is one of the things I had been missing, feeling him inside of me.

We rock our hips together; he thrusts back up as I grind down and forward against him. My slick wet coating his member and groin, making it slip and move all the easier as I feel my muscles contract around him while he throbs. This time, I let loose, no stifling the moans while I feel him inside of me. I wanted him to hear me moan, to hear how he made me feel, the pleasure he gave me while he throbbed within me.

It was amazing, maybe it was the distance, or the time spent away, maybe it was how much I had missed him but this felt better than normal. Not that any time with him didn't make me happy or feel good, but this felt like a piece of the puzzle was being completed. It made me smile as my hips hopped and slide against his. I could feel him throb, his pressure as he was nearing his release. I was nearing my second release from his earlier exploration.

"I'm close" I whisper in his ear as he nods, kissing my shoulder and tightening his grip around my waist.

"Me too." He answers softly, his pace quickening as he doesn't hold back. My short, loud moans in tune with each thrust, each move he makes. Every time he pushes up, a moan, every grind forward and back I make, a moan. It was full, and I felt full as my legs began to tighten and shake.

"Hic-ccup! I'm… about to.." I moan amid pants, feeling myself about to explode as he leans into my neck and bites my ear.

"Go together." He whispers as he thrusts up again, I feel it hit a spot this time that was like a button and my eyes seemed to glaze over as my hips shook again, I could feel his warmth filling me inside as he moaned into my neck and kissed down to my chest.

"I love you" He says softly as he starts slowing down, between his pants as I smile.

"I love you too." I answer, leaning in and kissing him.

"You make me forget about the problems of the Archipelago and for these moments, nothing else but you and I matter. Not the trappers, nothing. Just us." He continues while I lean my head to his chest, listening to his heartbeat, his semi-stiff member still partially inside of me as I feel it throb.

"It's times like these where I think of how easy it'd be for us to just take our dragons and run away. No leading a tribe, no summit, no problems. Just us, in the world, together." I admit. It's true, the number of times where I think it'd be simpler, easier and ultimately make me happier to just run away with him. It made me sigh.

"What?" Hiccup asks softly as I sigh and I shake my head, kissing his chest lightly before taking a deep breath.

"Not that either of us ever would but… you'd only need to ask. I'd leave it all behind for you. Life is so complicated sometimes but with you everything seems to clear." I continue as he brushes a strand of hair from my face. I can see his soft emerald eyes gazing into mine, I feel like I can see his soul and heart, see the very nature of his person. A kind, caring, loving man. One that even I had to question how they could exist in our age; I certainly didn't make it easy on him when we were kids but he never changed.

"I'd never ask you to leave your family, and we can't leave our people… but I know what you mean. That's why we're so good together." He answers and I genuinely smile as I nestle into his chest. "Because we support each other." He finishes as I nod.

"That we do. I've seen Vikings who couldn't stand their spouses, who hated the idea of being home or married… but not with you. With you, being home here, right now, I couldn't be happier." I say as he continues brushing my hair softly, my eyes lightly closed.

"I've also given it a little thought… The Summit is on the Winter Solstice; what say we make it official. We get married on the Vernal Equinox." He asks softly as I blink my eyes open and lean back, looking at him as his emerald eyes continue their gaze on me.

"You mean the start of spring?" I begin as he nods, smiling. "When the fresh flowers bloom." I say, curling my lips to a smile.

"After the harsh winter is over" He adds, his eyes staying locked on mine

"We renew as spring." I finish as we both smile.

"Together." We say together and I shake my head.

"Gods, we can be so cheesy." I mutter, burying my face in his shoulder as he laughs.

"But it comes so easy." He playfully retorts as I laugh. After a few seconds, I lean back and kiss him lightly on the lips and nod.

"I think a marriage on the Equinox would be wonderful." I answer confidently and seriously as he takes my hands, still sitting on his lap. Kissing my hands, he smiles.

"Should we announce it, or keep it a secret til after the summit?" He asks and I shrug

"I honestly don't care. I know, that's enough for me." I mutter, leaning in and kissing him again. I can't get enough of feeling his lips against mine. "Though, for now, let's keep it between us. Maybe we can tell Valka. I wouldn't trust my parents not to run their mouths." I admit as we both laugh.

"After the summit it is. We'll have a few months to make the arrangements anyways, maybe a few trapper forts fall to a Chief and the General before they fall to the Chief and Chieftess of Berk." He teases and I smile.

"Sounds perfect to me." I answer with a grin.

"Come on, let's head to bed." He says and before I can even agree or otherwise, he stands up, hoisting me with him, prompting me to laugh.

"When did you get so strong?" I tease as he shrugs.

"Blacksmithing, Dragon Riding and sparring with my skilled lover has certainly helped." He jests as I smile.

"Onward, then, carry your naked bride to be to bed." I tease as he shakes his head and smiles.

"Gods, we are cheesy, aren't we." He asks no one in particular, though glancing at me while I wear a wide grin.

"Maybe, but it's sweet too." I answer as we reach the threshold to the room and he lays me down. It was a fleeting moment, as I stood up and we both moved to the water bucket we kept nearby. Washing ourselves and drying, we then climb nakedly into bed, nestling together as my forehead rests to his, my legs locking with his I smile as his face will be the last thing I see before I finally drift off to sleep.


	79. The Summit Nears

To say that the time leading up to the Summit wasn't nerve-wracking would be wrong, for everyone in Berk felt the ramifications of what could happen at this Summit and how our lives could change. For better, or worse, the Summit was merely two weeks away and its implications would control the future of the Archipelago for years to come. Would we band together and expel the Trappers, their ideologies and ways from our waters? Would we be able to live in harmony with our neighbors and the dragons that had attempted to coexist with us for years? Would we be forced to make a decision between the dragons and ourselves, the future of us as a people and the future of dragon-kind? How could we even make such a decision, none of us could even fathom what was going through Hiccup's mind at the moment, not even me.

We hadn't stopped our efforts against the trappers since he returned, though since then I had kept him closer than before. Our nights were filled with connection and physical affection while our days were filled with the weight of our duties and responsibilities. We still hadn't told anyone about our planned wedding date and though I now had a date, it didn't change how awkward certain conversations could get. Gobber and Valka were among the worst, constantly nagging for us to be married in often very public settings. Each time making my heart skip a beat as I glanced at Hiccup for comfort and solace in his eyes. His gaze would always find mine amid the uncomfortable conversations. I think that we both wanted to come out and announce it to the island, but with the Summit looming overhead, we didn't want to distract the people from the importance of it.

That being said, even now, knowing that our marriage was on the horizon was enough to both excite and terrorize me. I understand why we wouldn't want to broadcast it yet as it was all I could think about even with the Summit looming. Of course, only Hiccup knew how it made me feel; I didn't keep anything from him anymore. Not since the incident with Heather and the Hunters, I still remember the sting I felt seeing the disappointment in his eyes. Sometimes, you want those you love to yell or scream, to be angry at a decision you make. Then, at least, you can challenge their anger but the feeling that you didn't anger them and instead disappointed them stung worse than any verbal sparring match could have.

It was also something to note that these thoughts from our past kept flooding in, even more after he and I made the secret pact to wed on the Vernal Equinox. The time of Spring when nature sees rebirth and renewal. A time when we too would see renewal and rebirth as not a betrothed couple but instead a married one. Just the thought of it was enough to warm my heart, it made the problems we faced seem like obstacles, something to be overcome. Which they were, but the Summit, the Trappers and the fate and freedom of Dragonkind was ultimately more important than our marriage. I knew that, but at the same time, to me, it wasn't.

"You seem distracted, m'dear." Valka's voice breaks my train of thought and I suddenly realize where we are. Sitting in the Great Hall after another day of Dragon Races. I shake my head and smile, glancing around. I can see Hiccup in a far corner of the room talking with Fishlegs who seems overzealous in whatever he is explaining; if I had to guess it was about Heather. Heather had since had to return to Berserker Island but I saw the Terror Mails that had been being sent, and the promise when she left that she'd be there more often.

"Sorry, just thinking about things." I answer honestly though vaguely as the dissatisfied mother shakes her head.

"No, that simply will not due. Talk. We're alone enough, you can be frank, Astrid." Valka says and as I look to her, I can see her eyes bearing down on me like she was fishing for some shred of information, some inch of confirmation to her suspicions.

"This summit is huge, it's only a couple weeks away. We still have trapper hideouts to hit. There are still dragons in danger. Then, whatever comes with this summit. It'll change the face of the Archipelago for good. I can't even fathom what is going through Hiccup's head about this; what it could all mean." I say, muttering. I feel like I am blabbering, trying hard not to mention the marriage date or anything and instead turning the direction to the dangers we face. For my part, my distraction seems to work.

"Oh, aye. I've no doubt he is stressed, but he's hiding it well enough. He doesn't talk to you at night?" She asks rather pointedly, and I nod.

"No, he does. I mean, I know what the stakes are; he's shouldering so much of it. He tries not to burden me with any of it, even though it isn't a burden." I say softly before turning further to look at Valka. "What do you know about the summits of old?" I ask as she sighs.

"It is no easy thing, a summit between tribes. Often times, tribes don't mix well; often enemies or in between wars. This one will be no different; what with the Outcasts, Berserkers and Mongrel Tribes alone there, that's three past enemies. The Mongrels have bad blood with many tribes, the Hysterics are viewed as savages. There is a good chance nothing will get done until a common ground is reached; and that common ground is usually had at the behest of the Chief of Chiefs." She explains and I furrow my brow and take a drink. There was that calling again, was that his future?

"And, how does one become the Chief of Chiefs?" I ask softly, my voice trailing as I glance over to Hiccup and Fishlegs who have since been joined by Snotlout, all still laughing and talking.

"Traditionally, one of two things. The strongest military power and a vote among the chiefs." She says, pausing and glancing to Hiccup with me then back to me. "And I can say with some certainty that while we don't have the largest fleet; Toothless and the dragons well make up for it. With his relationship with the other tribes, I'd be surprised if Hiccup wasn't named such." She adds and my heart sinks. Of course, it would be a great honor and a great responsibility but it's something he wouldn't accept unless he had too. "Have you talked to him about it?" Valka asks and I shrug.

"Not specifically that, not since he returned. I am quite sure that if it were to be a vote, at least four tribes would vote his way." I admit solemnly

"It is a great honor." Valka adds softly as I feel her hand rest on my shoulder.

"Yes, it is." I admit, taking a drink and sighing.

"Something else troubles you, dear." Valka says softly and as I glance at her with a raised eyebrow she shrugs. "I'm a mother, I can see these things." She states and I shake my head.

"Yes, but its better kept between he and I, I'm sure you understand." I suggest and her face softens as she smiles and nods. No words that she offered would help me at the moment, and by pestering it only fed my unease. Valka was no fool and a perceptive person, she knew as much. Instead, she sat with me while I watched the trio of boys talk about whatever it was they were talking about. Seeing them talk, laugh and move together brough a soft smile to my lips. Eventually, Hiccup's eyes caught mine and he smiles while patting Fishlegs on the shoulder before making his way to me. Somewhere during his walk, Valka moved further away from me to give us space without me noticing; though my eyes were connected to his, studying that smile. When he sat next to me, I quickly felt his arms wrap around me and tug me against him and I went with it, my own arms wrapping around him and I felt like melting in his chest as I felt his breath his warmth.

"You okay?" He asks softly and I nod.

"Just a lot on my mind; the summit is right around the corner and the Equinox is not long after that." I admit softly and his face softens and he smiles, nodding.

"One thing I dread, the other I can hardly wait for. Fortunately, the Summit is soon and then we can look onto brighter things when that issue is dealt with." He answers softly and I sigh, closing my eyes and nodding.

"I certainly can hardly wait for the Equinox and the resolution the summit brings. Honestly, I've grown tired of using dragons as beasts of war. I want to coexist with them… to focus on just… being with you." I answer quietly and I feel his grip tighten.

"I want nothing more than to reach that end. We'll get there, together." He answers and every time he does, I smile. His words, I believe him. I believe in him, I have for years, since he first showed me Toothless and we saw the Red Death. I had grown to trust him in that one flight, to believe him. I've believed in him since; with the Hunters, the Flyers; when he was dropped in a pit by the Defenders. No matter what, I would be there for him, and we'd reach that goal together.

*********************************

The winds were changing, there was a change in the tide and the sea, the sky and the clouds. We were moving outside of our comfort zones. It was on a new scale, though. I mean, I had been used to making decisions that affected the fates of those around me for years, being at the Edge. A part of me thinks that is why my dad was so willing to let me go; it served as a time to groom me for his retirement; a retirement he never got to see because I was selfish. My selfishness found my mother, ended Drago but lost my father and ultimately, I know I could've made different decisions where he'd still be alive.

Astrid was subject to the changes too; while she wasn't changing, I could see it work like a gear in her eyes when our eyes connected. She had been talking to my mother, but her soft gaze was on me while I talked to Fishlegs and Snotlout. It was her gaze that pulled me away from them and towards her; and as I closed I saw my mother move away but didn't mind. She was giving us space, I knew, something was eating at Astrid.

We've since left the Great Hall and the dark, clear sky was beautiful and littered with stars. There was still snow on the side of the ground and we walked to the house, our dragons in tow. A midnight flight would do us both well, but first, I wanted to talk to her. I knew something was bothering her, something she wouldn't say out in the Great Hall. The warmth of the house was a welcome feeling from the ambient heat of the firepit. While she settled the fire pit and had it lit by Stormfly, I fetched us a couple mugs before we nestled together under a blanket. I trace her long, blonde hair with my fingers while she sits partly on my lap and just stares at the fire. I wouldn't force her to talk, but fortunately I wouldn't need too.

"What do you know about the Chief of Chiefs for the Summit?" She asks softly, her voice breaking against the cracks of the fire. I sigh and kiss her shoulder before resting my chin on it and closing my eyes.

"I know that I am somewhat expected to be it. Mala, Atali, gods, Even Dagur have all said they would recommend such. Alvin would probably vote my way too and if I had to guess, so would Audun and Kari." I explain as she shifts and glances at me.

"Kari? Audun?" She asks with a raised eyebrow and I nod.

"Oh, yeah. Audun the Intimidating of the Shivering Shores tribe, and Kari Solveig of the Hymir Tribe. Audun knew my father and seemed to like me. His intimidating title is a bit off, at least with me, he was like another Alvin." I explain. "Kari on the other hand is the Chieftess of the Hymir Tribe. Not unlike the Defenders; full of acrobatics and stuff with weird ways of weeding out friends or foe." I say with a sigh as Astrid blinks.

"Meaning?" She asks and I shrug.

"Well, I almost left the Hymir Tribe and rescinded my offer because at one point during my visit, and don't get mad; but she offered for her and I to wed. When I declined, she pressed the issue further as a secret, at which point I said I would rescind my offer." I explain cautiously. I could see Astrid's face tighten as she sighs and shakes her head.

"I trust you." She says simply and rests her head on my chest, closing her eyes.

"Turns out, it was a test. If I had said yes, I would've been attacked. Apparently, they do that often to weed out people who lack honor. Made me uncomfortable." I admit and Astrid smiles, shaking her head.

"Yeah, if I meet this Kari, I'll pretend I didn't know. But" She pauses and looks at me. "You're all mine." She finishes softly and kisses me, her full lips encompassing mine as her eyes close. I feel her tongue trace my lips and soon our tongues are entwined as my grip slinks around her side and presses her body against mine. As we part, recovering our breath with flushed faces and a smile, I nod.

"I'd want it no other way." I say softly as she nuzzles into my shoulder. "So, speaking to all of that… I'm sure if it needs to happen that I'll be one of the ones targeted for the position." I finish.

"You'd be perfect for it." Astrid says softly as I shake my head.

"I don't want it, I've never wanted to be a Chief or leader. It's just not me." I mutter and she nods.

"I know, Hiccup." She says calmly. "But you do it so well, without regard to personal gain or power. That is why it has to be you. You will put the people, the dragons first over yourself. Think of all the good you could do." Astrid says confidently and I can't help but smile and hold her tighter.

"With you, Astrid, I feel like I can do anything." I admit and feel her press closer to me.

"You can, we can. Like you said, Together." Astrid answers. I smile, leaning in and kissing her forehead while stroking her hair. We lay like that in comfortable warmth and silence for a long while before I nudge her.

"Midnight ride?" I ask softly and she shifts, looking up and me and smiling.

"I thought you'd never ask. Stormfly! Come're girl!" Astrid says, standing up and taking me up with her as I beckon to Toothless.

"Come on, bud, let's go for a ride." I say, climbing up and patting Toothless on the side as he coos.

Together, we take off from the large ceiling window and fly straight up. We're soon side by side in the clear night and our dragons are encircling each other. I reach my hand out as we circle as Astrid does, and our hands briefly connect and hold amid the cold wind. Stormfly and Toothless had grown so accustomed to flying together like this it was a near synchronous maneuver that had been practiced since our time on the Edge. It was these flights that we had together, were we didn't have to think about anything but the flight itself but being near each other; the song we made for each other amid the skies. Glancing to Astrid, I smile.

"I'll fly and ride all day and night, without a need for stopping." I say as our heads near each other in our circle, a hum-like whistle following as we fly prompting Astrid to glance at me and smile.

"And gladly soar along in life, if you will soar besides me." She continues our next pass, her voice trailing as she so very rarely sung. I couldn't fathom why, as I loved the sound of her voice.

"No gusting win, nor freezing cold will stop me on my longest flight." I sing on the next pass as I reach up and feel her fingers glaze past mine. "If you will promise me your heart and love me for eternity." I finish.

"My dearest one, my darling dear, your offer sounds so tempting." She continues and I am filled with warmth at the memory of my father and mother dancing to a near similar song. "For I would only soar all day and night if you were soaring with me." She adds when we close, our fingertips grazing each other's again.

"Up upon the clouds so high, I feel your arms around me." I continue smiling, gazing at her from the back of Toothless while we soar.

"Oh, I will show you a world in flight and love you for eternity." She answers in tune

"And I will catch you if you fall and wrap my arms around thee." I hum in tune with her on the next circle.

"That is all I wish form thee." She finishes as we close together.

"To love, to kiss, to sweetly hold through the soaring and the mysteries." We say in unison, "To feel your arms around me, amid the sorrows and the blessings, I will travel through the stars all night to keep you safe besides me." We continue. "Through all of life's mysteries, there's only one thing that I know" We add before tugging on our dragons to pull us as close as possible, to where we can reach up for the slightest of pecks on the lips. "And it's that I'll love you for eternity." We finish as we pull our dragons back and level off, now gliding next to each other.

"It's a rush to do that in the sky." Astrid remarks with a laugh, her eyes not leaving mine as I nod.

"Got to thank our good sporting dragons too, good job you two." I say, patting Toothless on the side as he coos and smiles.

"You too, girl!" Astrid remarks, patting Stormfly as I hear the Nadder squawk.

We fly like that together for awhile longer and as I glance to Astrid, I can see her mind is relatively at peace, the smile the rides her face is a true one as she gazes out over the dark horizon. What had been plaguing her thoughts has been wrestled away and she seemed more at peace. Which was good, I need her, I rely on her and I need her to be able to rely on me. Her sharp eye caught me looking at her as she laughs and glances to me.

"What?" She says with a smile and I just shrug.

"I love you." I say simply and her face softens even amid the cold wind.

"I love you, too." Astrid answers with a smile as she then pulls ahead and leads us back to the house. It was cold and the house was warm, even the dragons felt their wings grow stiff as we flew inside and closed the latch. Toothless quickly heated his rock and nestled in as Astrid and I found our way into bed. Our bodies naked and cold, though it didn't matter as they pressed against each other, there was only warmth and comfort that I felt. The summit looming, the marriage not long after, the trappers still to contend with and the safety of dragonkind in the balance; and this woman that lay beside me gave me the strength to shoulder it all.


	80. It Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Later than expected due to new work opportunity with higher pay and less free time. I should go back to two times a week after this one, possibly more as allowed.

I never knew how much of a logistical nightmare it would be to organize a Summit between Chiefs. The past two weeks have been nothing short of chaos and I feel like I would've drowned without those around me. Everyone around me helped, pulled their weight and more. Snotlout was given cursory charge of the A team and in charge of security for Berk and the Summit itself. The twins were put in charge of choosing the meals that we would have while Fishlegs and Eret set up the neutral location. Gobber was helming the daily needs of the people while my mother was staying hurriedly by Astrid and I's side, explaining what she thought to expect. While the last summit happened after her disappearance, she was quite familiar with how a chief needed to act around other chiefs in such a setting. The other problem going in was the obvious bad blood we would have to settle to start.

"Okay, let's go over it all again." My mother's voice breaks my concentration as she places a parchment before Astrid and me with the eight other tribes attending. My mother had spent the last few couple weeks gathering as much information as she could so that when we entered this Summit, it wouldn't be blind. To go into such negotiations without information beforehand would be foolhardy at best, deadly at worst.

"Outcast Tribe; remnants that have absorbed exiles from varying other tribes to become a respectable power and ally." Astrid states next to me. "Headed by Alvin. Since Savage, he hasn't really named a second, though I suppose we'll meet them at the summit. Alvin is also among those who will support Hiccup's bid for Chief of Chiefs." She finishes and glances to me as I nod with a slight wince. That had become something I was growing more accustomed too, even though the mere thought of that much power or influence bothered me. I didn't want to be the one who helmed the Archipelago; helping get them through a trying time is one thing but this, this was more. Glancing back to my mother, I nod again.

"Next is the Berserkers, headed by Dagur and Heather and probably our closest and strongest allies. Ships, Forges, even their own dragon riders plus experience in war." I add on Dagur's fleet being the largest in operation next to the Mongrel Tribe. Them in conjunction with us and the Outcasts had the largest force in the Archipelago barring Drago's Remnants. I glance to Astrid who smiles softly at me as I sigh. "The Berserkers are also going to support a bid from me if required." I finish.

"Dagur himself suggested it if I recall." Astrid adds and I nod, her hand entwining with mine. She smiles and turns her head back to my mother before continuing. "Next would be the Defenders of the Wing. Married into the Berserker Tribe and lead by Mala with her second being Throk. Honorable, capable fighters. Coexisting with dragons for generations and also likely to support a bid by Hiccup." Astrid says and I feel her tighten her grip around my hand at the comment. Every time I heard it, my heart sank a little further. Where were the days that I just rode dragons, where did those days go?

"By those three alone, Hiccup will likely have majority anyways as most Chieftains only ever vote for themselves in such a vote." My mother adds.

"There is also the Wingmaidens, headed by Atali with her second being Minden. Guardians of the Razorwhips, Atali has suggested she would support such a bid by me as well." I state. "There is also the time they came to our aid with the King of Dragons against Johann and when they got the Bewilderbeast Egg to you." I add as my mother shifts uncomfortably.

"Those were interesting times. I've known Atali for years, and all I heard of you while you were out there was that you were Riders from the Edge, not from Berk. I never connected Berk, nor did she share your name as we never spoke in person. I was so caught up in my personal war with Drago, with saving any dragon I could further south. I would've tried meeting you sooner had I known." My mother answers softly as I shrug.

"We're here now, so we make do." I contend with a weak smile. "Moving on." I say softly, glancing to Astrid who nods.

"The Hysterics are next. Unknown Warriors with varying beliefs. Rumor is they believe the world to be round and hold rules of justice at the flip of an axe as if fated by the gods. Their strange beliefs aside, they are proud warriors and notably savage in combat. Little to no ships to speak of, they really only venture to Villainy during the times of the Freeze for hunting. Unknown on if they'd support a bid. Lead by one called Silver Claw and someone we think is his second, White Fang." Astrid explains as I recall the encounter.

"They are in tune with their animalistic side, and not dragon riders, though they did respect us being so though called them war beasts." I add on while my mother nods along, keeping time with her own notes. "Next is the Hymir Tribe, similar to the Defenders, though less involved with dragons. Lead by Kira Solveig, and Jary Halvar as her second. They seem to respect us for varying reasons. Not sure if they'll support a bid by me, but they might." I finish, closing my eyes slightly and shaking my head. I had told Astrid about the questionable encounter, but it still didn't sit well with me. Astrid senses my apprehension and squeezes her hand around mine again, opening my eyes I see her smiling warmly at me. It always did make me feel more confident having her by my side. Astrid's smile widens slightly as she nods her head and glances back to my mother.

"Next we have the Shivering Shores Tribe, led by a man named Audun who had relations with Stoick and apparently spoke quite fondly of him and Hiccup. From what Eret and Hiccup said, they were most receptive and may well support a bid by Hiccup." Astrid explains.

"You know, does it need to be me?" I blurt out randomly. "Wouldn't Mala or Atali or, for Thor's Sake, even Dagur be better picks? I just, I'm not sure I'm the right Viking for this, Chief of Chiefs idea." I explain as they both look at me. There is a long pause when they both turn to look at each other then back to me as my mother speaks.

"I'm sure any of those three would do well, Hiccup, but.." She begins but pauses as Astrid shifts and takes my other hand, making me look her in the eye.

"But you have always seen the better side; always tried to be reasonable and kind. You've never succumbed to emotions, always have defended those who needed no matter the costs. You're kind to dragons and your fellows, always trying to give everyone as much of a chance as you can to improve. You don't do these things to make people love you, to gain power or respect; you do them because it is who you are. You wouldn't kill a dragon, bound though dangerous even if freeing it ultimately cost you your lift. You see yourself in others, in dragons, in people. Yes, Hiccup, it needs to be you." Astrid states confidently, reminding me of what I had said after my father first found out about Toothless; when I told her that I wouldn't kill a dragon. I shake my head and sigh.

"Hiccup, what Astrid said is right. You're the best chance to lead the Archipelago as a whole into a better future." My mother adds with my head still shaking slightly.

"And those who disagree?" I suggest.

"There will always be dissidents; it is a matter of how you address them and move forward." My mother adds on as I nod and take a deep breath.

"Well, on that note; last but not least, the Mongrel Tribe." I say softly. "Arguably the most questionable of the lot but one of the strongest powers that be. Alone their fleet is almost as large as every other fleet combined, and if unified with us, would mean our fleet alone would match or pass the Trappers. Led by Nikora Stormheart and her sister, Eir, who seem to have worked past their differences. They are not in the current business of trapping Dragons anymore, though they have had a questionable past. They seem focused on rebuilding since reclaiming their home island. And we were not welcomed to stay the night, so I think they would likely be opposed to a bid." I state.

"They will be the hardest to convince, but I believe honor and good will prevail." My mother says with a smile. "Do not be deterred, don't sacrifice your own beliefs. You are who you are, and you are a great man. Your father would be so proud of you." She adds as I nod and smile weakly.

"Thanks, mom." I say softly, my hand tightening around Astrid's. The Summit was tomorrow, and Astrid and I would head there tonight. Snotlout was already there with several of the A Team while the rest of the riders did their duties without complaint. Even the twins were working with me without much of a counter which helped me.

After having gone through it all, Astrid and I loaded up and flew out to the island in question. We were using the island of our old storehouse that Spitelout had chosen, with all of our stores returned to Berk. The large building made for a perfect meeting room, and as we flew, on the horizon, I could already see the masts of various ships making their way there through the night. This next day would be more stressful than going into combat; at least Astrid was by my side.  
*********************************

I don't know what we were hoping to expect on the dawn of the summit, but it was anything other than that. We had set up the old storehouse as a Summit room with nine Chieftain Chairs and nine Second chairs in a circle around the room; each set up with a small table of mead and fruit. In the center of the room was a map, more professionally organized than Hiccup's little pocket notebook map that he added onto every chance he got. This map was the entirety of the Archipelago as we knew it; all of our neighbors, the islands we've visited and more. It was a bit of a masterpiece of art if I dared to say, and something that Hiccup wouldn't claim to having made though I know he did.

"It'll work, Hiccup." I say softly as I stand by his side. We were alone in the meeting room with the large doors opened, gazing over the map.

"It better, I don't know what I'll do if it doesn't." Hiccup answers. "How hard is it to push for peace, why is coexisting with dragons such a hard concept?" Hiccup asks somewhat rhetorically as he turns to me and I smile softly at him.

"There is no good answer for that, but with a healthy bit of determination and courage, we can find a way. I have faith in you." I answer, forcing him to smile.

"I'm glad you are here, Astrid." He says softly, leaning in and kissing me softly on the lips. I realized then we had been so overworked, so stressed, we had barely taken comfort in each other's presence over the past couple weeks and this kiss… it released tension in my back I didn't know I had. As we pull away, we both smile.

"There is no where else I'd be." I say for him with a widening smile. Supporting him, being with him, flying with him, that's what made me happy, no matter the challenges we faced together, it would be together. Shortly after dawn, we heard the sounds of the first arrivals and made our way to greet them, together. Dagur, Mala, Heather and Throk all rode in on a pair of dragons, Sleuther and Windshear; and they were the first to officially arrive.

"Brother!" Dagur calls out, hopping off Sleuther and embracing Hiccup then me in a gronkle hug.

"Glad you could all make it." I say, standing next to Hiccup.

"It is truly our pleasure, Astrid." Mala answers as Heather comes up and embraces both Hiccup and I. Throk met our forearms in a greeting and smiled. We showed them inside to their respective seats which were next to each other as we heard the familiar sounds of baby Razorwhips. The Wingmaidens came next, with Atali and Minden landing outside the door and joining us inside. We showed them to their seats as Hiccup and I went out to meet those who came by sea.

The Outcasts came next, who had offered to pick up the Hysterics. It seemed Alvin and Silver Claw got along swimmingly which I wasn't sure if it should worry me or ease me; though it seemed to put Hiccup's mind at ease as we greeted the pair of Chiefs.

"Oi! Chief Haddock, Hiccup! And Astrid. How ye be doin'? Comm'ere, meet me second; Radburn!" Alvin exclaims as he disembarks with Silver Claw, White Fang of the Hysterics and a second Outcast I didn't recognize.

"We've met before, nice to meet you again." Radburn says as I actually do recognize him as one of the Outcasts who helped us get Alvin back after he was ransomed. Silver Claw approached us both with a large battle axe slung to his back and White Fang with a beautiful bow slung.

"Hooligan Chief and Chieftess." Silver Claw says as both Hiccup and I glance at each other.

"Oi! Ye two get married without telling ol' Alvin? Might need to pillage ya if that be the case." Alvin exclaims as we both shake our head.

"No, no, Alvin. Soon, not yet." Hiccup says and my heart skips a beat. It was soon, wasn't it. Shaking his head, Hiccup glances to me with a weak smile. "Come on, let me show you to the meeting hall." Hiccup says and takes the Outcasts and Hysterics up the ramp as I wait for more arrivals. Soon after that, a boat bearing the Hymir Crest was pulling in to dock. As it does, out steps a rather beautiful small, framed girl who I assumed to be Kira; Hiccup hadn't mentioned her beauty; she wasn't unlike Heather. A larger, imposing man followed her.

"Chieftess Solveig, I presume? My name is Astrid Hofferson, Hooligan Tribe's General. Hiccu- er, The Chief is at the meeting building, I'll show you the way." I ask with a smile as she greets me with a nod.

"Kira, please. And this is my uncle, Jary Halvar." She states with a smile as I motion her to follow me up the ramp. "So, you're the one, huh, General Hofferson?" Kira says as she eyes me, prompting me to narrow my eyes at her.

"Astrid. And I am the one what?" I ask, unsure of her comment.

"Your Chief, Hiccup Haddock; he spoke quite highly of the one whom he was betrothed too. I was impressed both by him and by you." Kira says as I turn to look at her.

"What makes you think he spoke of me?" I ask, not really sure of what Hiccup said but gauging her reaction as she smiled.

"The way you introduced yourself, the way he spoke. I just sort of guessed but, I'm quite right I think. I don't mind saying, Astrid, I'm jealous." Kira says with a light smile as we reach the Summit building and Hiccup comes out to greet us.

"Ah, Astrid, thank you. Uh, Chieftess Solveig and Jary, please come inside." Hiccup says, he seems flustered and already inside is bustling with conversation. He leads us over to Heather and Dagur. "Dagur, Heather. This is Kira Solveig and Jary Halvar of the Hymir Tribe. Can you show them around while Astrid and I meet the Mongrel Tribe and the Shivering Shores?"

"Of course, Bother! Come here! Chieftess Solveig, or do you prefer Kira? I am Dagur, The Deranged!" Dagur exclaims as we both walk away and he laughs. We can hear Mala laugh and correct him.

"Dagur the Distinguished is more accurate." Mala suggests as they fade out of earshot as we make our way down. The sea was calm as I spotted a ship on the horizon. I glanced to Hiccup and took his hand.

"Are you ready?" I ask softly and he sighs.

"Not really, no. This was always my father's thing, not mine. To be honest, I have no idea what I'm doing here, Astrid." Hiccup admits and I smile, pulling him in for another light kiss while we were alone.

"That didn't stop you from leading us on the Edge, or against Drago. Don't lose faith in yourself." I say softly as we pull back, the ship growing on us as it does. A part of me was hoping it was the Shivering Shores but another part of me expected it to be the Mongrels. As I turn to look, it looked like fortune was gone as I saw the second ship on the horizon, with the closer being the crest of the Shivering Shores.

"I want you to take Audun up, I'll wait for Nikora and Eir." Hiccup says in a slow sigh as I nod.

"You sure?" I ask as he shakes his head.

"No, I mean, yes. Probably best anyways. They're here of their own free will, so I don't expect any problems. Besides, Toothless is listening overhead." Hiccup says and glances behind us at a cliff face where the dragons had been corralled. I smile and nod as the Shivering Shores ship lands and out pops a large behemoth of a man I could only assume was Audun.

"Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third! Look at Stoick's boy, and who's this lass?" The man bellows.

"Hey, Audun, this is Astrid Hofferson, my, uh, General." Hiccup says and I heard his pause, he almost said Chieftess.

"Right! Well, this is Birger, you've met him. How many more ye got?" Audun asks as Hiccup points to the last ship on the horizon.

"One more." I explain. "Come, Chief Audun, is it? Follow me." I say, leading him on as he follows me, him asking various questions on the route.

"So tell me, General, why did yer chief hesitate when he said that?" Audun asks.

"It's complicated." I say simply as Birger chimes in.

"Oh, no it ain't! You two due to be wed!" Birger exclaims as my eyes widen and I nod. "It's written on your face, lass. Pay it no mind, Stoick's boy is of a good cut." Birger adds as I nod, smiling. He had no idea how good a cut Hiccup was in basically ever aspect. We continued on the way and found our way to the Summit building where I showed them their seats and turned to everyone.

"Attention, everyone! Chief Haddock is greeting the last arrivals, then we can begin. Please start finding your seats. I'm sure all of us want this whole Summit to not last longer than it has too." I explain as everyone starts shifting.

"Well said, lass!" Alvin quips as he moves to the side near his seat and I move back to where Hiccup and I's seat is. Glancing around it at the notebook we had left there, undisturbed, I nod as I hear the heavy sounds of armored footsteps behind me. Turning I see Hiccup with Nikora and Eir who seem to be dressed for war.

"Right this way." Hiccup says and shows them to their seats as they sit without a word. There is a hint of contempt-ness on their face as Hiccup moves over to me and smiles weakly before turning to address everyone.

"Alright, first, thank you all for agreeing to participate in this Summit. I have called us here for one main reason; there is a threat on our waters unlike any we have seen before. The Remnants of Drago Bludvists armies, known as the Trappers, are pillaging our lands and waters and making war with us wherever we go. Their fleet is stronger than any one of ours, but together, we are stronger than they are. To that end, this Summit is to unify us as an alliance, a coalition; one that will respond to this threat and leave today as allies." Hiccup says confidently, walking around the circular map in the room, looking at everyone in specific as I sit and watch with a smile on my face. "Here, today, we must discuss how to deal with this threat, and how to move forward to coexist with each other and the dragons that inhabit the islands with us; together." Hiccup finishes stopped at his chair and pausing as he looks around. Neither of us were really prepared for what came next.


	81. The Summit

I'm not sure what I expected after Hiccup had gathered all of these Chiefs and Chieftesses here; if I though everyone would immediately realize the problem and cooperate or what. What we got was quite the opposite shortly after Hiccup's opening remarks; it erupted. There is bad blood between some of the tribes at this summit, and they didn't seem keen on letting old matters rest in the face of new threats. Standing around the table, it became a shouting match between tribes; The Mongrel Tribe had wronged many, and were immediately at odds with the Defenders and Wingmaidens. The Hysterics had a problem with the Berserkers, and more specifically, Dagur for how he acted when he took over initially. Turns out Berk was not the only island he flexed on. The Hymir Tribe and Shivering Shores were relatively quiet with the Outcasts just sitting back and laughing. I wanted to scream at them, they were giving me a headache and I could hardly think. Glancing at Hiccup sitting next to me as they shouted, eventually even he lost his patience.

"Enough!" Hiccup shouts, standing and stepping to the table with Alvin following suit. "We are not here to reopen old wounds, we are here to build bridges, not burn them." Hiccup states as I glance around the room to the other seconds. Throk, Minden, Radburn, Jary and Birger were all relatively still, watching their respective leaders. Eir was staring daggers into everyone else around the room and Heather seemed to be casing them like I was. The one called White Fang, the silent female second, seemed like she was stalking prey; her wolf pelt over her head, covering much of her face as she silently gazed over the chaos.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think we were tryin' start a new fight 'ere! If I can get over ol' grudges, then so can the lot of you. Now then, sit down, shut up, and listen to Stoick's boy." Alvin comments in his usual sarcastically scary tone before looking at Hiccup. "Chief Hiccup, the floor is yers." Alvin says and looks back to everyone else. Apart of Silver Claw or Audun, Alvin was the most intimidating Chief there, and even those two seemed to nod in agreeance with Alvin when he said what he said.

"Thank you." Hiccup says simply and places his hands on the ring around the large map. "We've all been through hard times in recent years. Berk alone has been in combat with nearly half the Tribes in this summit yet now we are friends with most. We do not need to be enemies with each other. We already have enemies in our waters and they will run us out of our waters and islands to garner their profit if they can." Hiccup says confidently.

"And what exactly are you suggesting then, Haddock?" Nikora quips, crossing her arms as I shake my head slightly. I really didn't like their continued hostility.

"I am suggesting we meet them together; we unify as a coalition and combine our resources to expel them from our waters permanently. I am suggesting we come to an agreement between ourselves, establish a lasting peace between us, our neighbors and the dragons that coexist with us. We've proven that you can live side by side with dragons and neighbors even those who were once your allies. It just takes a little effort and compromise." Hiccup explains.

"This would be a declaration of war, would it not?" Audun asks, "Against those remnants of Drago's armies."

"Yes." Hiccup answers simply, glancing around the room as Audun continues.

"I admire your moxie, but for that to be effective, we would need to do more than act as a coalition; an declaration of war on this scale with so many chiefs is a recipe for internal struggle." Audun states, crossing his arms and speaking with a wisdom that I've not heard since Stoick, which was actually comforting. Audun was similar to Stoick and respectful, like Alvin but, cleaner?

"What we would need here…" Mala interjects, turning her head to look at me before smiling softly and glancing at Hiccup. "Is to declare one among us as the Chief of Chiefs, one who's command would not be questioned in the face of this threat." Mala finishes as several of the chiefs laugh.

"There's not been a Chief of Chiefs since Drago wiped out the last summit." Kira interjects, glancing down. I remember Hiccup mentioning that Kira had lost her father that day and assumed the role of leader far sooner than she should've needed too.

"Exactly why there must be one now, one who commands respect and leads with conviction, passion and integrity." Atali mentions and I can just feel Hiccup's heart sinking as my own smile widens. That is, until Nikora chose to speak up.

"Are you serious? You expect me to bow to one like some underkept leader? I did not rebuild and reclaim my home island to be anyone's pathetic runner of orders." Nikora snaps and for the first time this whole talk, I hear White Claw growl a low sigh as he turns to Nikora.

"Then Go, Little One. You waste our time, leave now, and by seasons end your tribe will be no more." White Claw says in a low tone not unlike a growl as he stands straight up, challenging even Alvin in size and presence. "I came not to hear the pathetic ramblings of a child with dreams of grandeur, silence your weak attempts to seem strong or leave." White Claw finishes, his voice barely above a guttural whisper but so clear as everyone in the room stood in silence. The Hysterics were every bit as potent in their presence as we had been led to believe and their Chief was no slouch. Even Nikora looked frozen, and glancing to Silver Fang, I saw her head had shifted and was locked on Eir. Both Hysterics were ready to pounce, and everyone in the room felt it.

"That isn't necessary." Hiccup says, breaking the silence and drawing the eyes of the others. "We don't need to hold contempt for each other. If we need a Chief of Chiefs, they need not sit higher than the others; they need only to serve as the final say after the council of those Chiefs that are with them." Hiccup says and I sigh slightly, smiling.

"I nominate you." White Claw says lowly, pointing to Hiccup and surprising literally everyone, even me.

"Uh- what?" Hiccup stutters as Dagur speaks up finally, placing a hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

"So do I." Dagur says, standing tall next to Hiccup.

"Aye, Me as well!" Alvin says, putting his large hands on his hips and nodding astutely.

"As do I." Mala adds, standing next to Dagur. I glance around and can see the growing smiles on Heather's, Throk's and Minden's faces. We had been through so much together, we all saw Hiccup for the leader he was then, but to see others see it and stand by it in front of others now was inspiring.

"Wait a minute.." Hiccup says, glancing around.

"No, Chief Hiccup, I agree. Since the death of your father and assumption of the role as Chief, and before to your time of war against the Hunters and Flyers of Viggo and Johann; you are my choice as well." Atali says warmly to Hiccup as she too glances my way with a light smile. We exchange a nod together amid the surprise vote initiated by the Hysterics.

"I've been impressed by you so far, boy, so I'll back you too. Stoick always did right by me." Audun adds, nodding.

"You had my vote since you invited us, the Hymir Tribe supports you as Chief of Chiefs." Kira adds, her eyes find mine and we exchange a nod and smile as well. I liked her. There was a noticeable silence as the only one to not endorse Hiccup remained to be the Mongrels and all eyes fell on them.

"The vote doesn't need to be unanimous, but it'd be in all of our best interests if it was." Dagur says, glancing to Nikora who narrows her eyes and scowls.

"I request a recess before I do or do not offer my support to confer with my council." Nikora says curtly and steps back and towards Eir, with the pair stepping outside.

"Let's take a moment, everyone. Drink and food." Hiccup says in a breaking voice as he then turns directly to me as I stand, and no sooner did I stand did I feel his arms around me in a hug. "This is nerve wracking." He whispers into my ear as I smile and tighten my grip and nod.

"Really, I couldn't tell, you're handling it so well." I whisper back as his grip squeezes again. I can feel his heart racing until he pulls away and looks me in the eye. I can tell he wanted nothing more than to kiss me, and I wanted to feel his lips too; but we had to be professional, at least, mostly. We then sat together with food and drink while the others huddled with their own seconds. I hadn't noticed until now, but Silver Fang had vanished in the time of Hiccup and I's hug; she was like a ghost. I was almost worried that the Mongrel's would abandon the Summit or worse, blood would be spilt but that was put to rest as Nikora and Eir stepped back into the hut together with all eyes falling on them. I can see Nikora clench her fist and shake her head slightly as she sighs.

"We endorse Hiccup." She says through gritted teeth, and I can tell she didn't want too but logic had won over feelings. Still, I'd be keeping an eye on her as we moved forward. Though, with that single admission, the vote was unanimous that Hiccup be named Chief of Chiefs. Was it a mere title or a point of respect. To Hiccup, I'm sure a weight he had to bear to see this world to peace. I'd be by his side, helping him bear this weight no matter the route it took us.

*********************************

And there it was, with one final admission through strained tongue and gritted teeth, I was named Chief of Chiefs for the Barbaric Archipelago. Now, all eyes were on me and it was not exactly what I expected. I don't know what I really thought would happen, to be fair. I expected bad blood to resurface, I didn't expect a couple hours' worth of shouting. I expected to be named Chief of Chiefs, after hearing so many of my allies support me for it, but I didn't expect the Hysterics of all tribes to Initiate it. Now, it went from bad blood staining the bridge we were building to me being the one connecting the dots. With skeptics like the Mongrels and stalwart allies like the Berserkers, Outcasts, Defenders and Wingmaidens; I had a lot to do to keep leveled and focused. Fortunately, Astrid was here with me, this would've been so much worse if I had to do it without her here.

"Now that that has been dealt with, we have to address how we tackle the problem." Audun states as I nod along.

"To that end, I have ideas. Combined, the nine tribes in this room represent the greatest powers that be; our combined fleets match the remnants of Drago's armies, possibly even slightly outnumber them." I state as Nikora cuts in.

"Then let's wipe them out and be done with it." Nikora states as I shake my head.

"This isn't a conventional war; it never has been. In the past, it was us versus each other by boat and land or versus the dragons. Now, we have an edge that can dramatically alter the way wars are fought and won. What good would it do to dedicate our entire fleet to a cause only to leave our own shores without protection." I state.

"Quite the military mind, brother." Dagur adds, laughing briefly before shrugging. "There's a reason he usually beat me even though I always outnumbered him." Dagur adds. "He's creative, and he's got dragons."

"We've got dragons." I add with a smile. "Between Berk and Berserker Island, we have a large wing of Dragon Riders that have been trained by the best. Heather of the Berserkers and Astrid of the Hooligan Tribe have painstakingly seen to the training of most of our riders, and together we've bested nearly all we've had to fight." I explain. "Still going, we've successfully raided several trapper ports and bases in recent months with just us. But we've avoided their fleet as a whole, as we still aren't sure where their main base is." I add.

"And let's not forget; Hiccup is the one who ended the reign of Krogan, the Hunter." Dagur adds, clasping my shoulder again as I wince slightly in a smile. Several around the table didn't know that yet, though knew of Krogan and it even gave Nikora pause.

"You killed Krogan?" Nikora asked simply as I nod softly.

"We needn't dwell on that, what's important is strategy." I say as Nikora shakes her head.

"Krogan eluded us for years and you killed him?" Nikora reinforces with a slight shake of her head as she sighs. "So, strategy?" She asks simply and I nod.

"Starting with Strengths and Weaknesses. Hooligans has the highest number of Riders with the Berserkers coming in second. Atali and the Wingmaidens have fast moving, light and small flyers. Berk has a fair number of ships, but less to crew them with the number of riders. The Berserkers, Outcasts, Mongrels and Shivering Shores have the largest combined fleets and crew, which the Hooligan fleet could supplement. Defenders, Hymir and Hysterics have the strongest ground forces without more ships than is needed for hunting or trade." I explain after opening up my notebook and glancing around the room.

"What I suggest is twofold. Supplementing our immediate waters, those around each of our individual islands with a quarter of the combined fleet. Enough to give any Trapper convoy pause. Each smaller fleet would be made up of each of our fighters and crew. The remaining Fleet would be staged and ready to act together to raid a given target with the majority of the riders poised with them. Each home island would be left with a pair of riders that could quickly send out air mails to us." I explain, sighing. "I expect it to get dicey as we start hitting them harder, they'll start pushing back harder." I add.

"Let them try." Dagur states

"And what will you be doing?" Nikora asks.

"I will be leading the Riders of Berk on reconnaissance missions and continuing marking targets and trying to pin down their main fleet. We'll send air mails to make sure everyone is aware of what we're hitting." I explain as Nikora seems to nod along, suddenly seemingly okay with the idea. Maybe it was finding out about Krogan that did it, no telling with her.

"And how will this all be handled, by you alone?" Audun asks simply and I shake my head swiftly.

"Gods, no. I'd like to say that I can task, or rather, ask my fellow Chiefs in this room for their leadership in certain roles." I begin as they nod around me, giving me course to continue. "Audun, Alvin and Nikora, I'd like to task you with coordinating the fleets efforts. That is, ensuring they are manned and poised, ready to engage. Ensuring each island has a viable wave around them. Those islands with their own established fleets can use some of their own. For those without, mix the ships up so it is an allied force." I state, glancing between the three.

"Aye, I can do that. I've been leading ships for thirty years!" Alvin exclaims as Audun nods.

"So be it." Audun says with a smile and nod as they turn to Nikora who shrugs.

"Whatever, as you say, your chiefliness." She answers curtly as I nod and move along.

"Kira, Mala and White Claw; I would charge you with keeping stock in our ground force that occupies the ships, ready to engage the trappers. Impress upon them that we are not going for the kill unless absolutely required to save your own life. Our goal is to take their ships, free their dragons and cage the trappers." I state.

"We can see to that." Mala says through a professional smile and nod.

"Work for me." Kira adds as they glance to White Claw who nods.

"As you say, Chief. True justice will only fall by the blade, but we will stay ours until they force it. We will avoid the kill; Silver Claw will see that is known throughout our warriors. White Claw says, turning to look at me completely. "Silver Fang will be my eyes with the fleet." He says and I nod.

Turning to Dagur and Atali, I nod to each of them. "Dagur, I'll want you to organize the rider teams that are sent to different islands and make sure we have clear means of communication; between you and Heather, organize the riders as a whole to engage. Atali, your Wingmaidens are fast and light and could island hop between us in the lull before battle to make sure no trappers conduct surprise attacks. When the time comes, you'll be with our ground forces on the ships until we make contact."

"You got it, brother." Dagur says with a smile.

"I will do my part, Hiccup." Atali adds.

"Thank you, all of you." I say with a smile. "We will stay in constant communication, and once the trapper threat is handled, we'll address other issues we may have but this must take precedence. I'd like to reiterate one key thing here." I say, glancing around. "Our war with the trappers is a war to save both ourselves and the dragons that live with us. For this coalition to work, we must accept dragons as members of our society. They are not tools of war, things to be caught, killed and traded. The fact that we use them for war now is only because they allow us too, and we strive to keep them from harm. We do not enslave or kill them, nor each other. Is that understood?" I say strongly, in the sternest voice I can muster and to a most pleasant surprise, they all nod. "Good." I say simply. "With that, unless anyone has any other business to bring up for now, we will close this summit down and put these plans into motion."

"Does anyone have any other business?" Mala reiterates and everyone shakes their heads collectively as she nods to me.

"I then conclude the Summit of the Chiefs. Unless something drastic happens, we'll not need another one like this until after the trappers are dealt with. Go by the grace of Odin." I say confidently as they all nod and step back, each of us returning to our respective seconds. I didn't realize until then my hands had been sweating and my heart racing. Feeling Astrid's arms around me almost immediately after we broke we enough to make my muscles relax from the tension and I felt like I could close my eyes and sleep in her arms right there.

"You did really good." She whispers softly and I just sigh and keep my grip tight. Eventually I feel a hand on my shoulder as I pull back from Astrid and feel Dagur embrace me in a rib-shattering hug.

"Good job, brother! I knew you were an excellent leader! And O-o-ooooh, did you feel the tension with the wolf man, White Claw! Oh, he is so intense, I love it!" Dagur exclaims as I just chuckle as Heather walks up with Throk and Minden close in tow.

"You did us all proud, Hiccup, really." Heather says softly with a smile as I nod, smiling.

"Indeed, I was saddened that my queen did not attempt to lay claim to that title, but I accept that you are the best to lead us in this campaign, Hiccup." Throk says in his usual overly formal tone. "Ah, tell me, what of the fragrant and beautiful Ruffnut?" He asks as Heather shoots both Astrid and I a gaze

"Oh, yeah, he had a thing for her awhile ago, it, uh, didn't really work out." I say sheepishly and turn to him. "She's good, maybe send her an air mail or stop by on Berk someday." I suggest as Astrid narrows her eyes.

"And don't try to kidnap her." She says sternly as Throk nods, putting his hands up.

"Of course!" He exclaims as Minden taps Astrid on the shoulder.

"And, uh, what of Snotlout?" Minden asks meekly as Astrid rolls her eyes but smiles anyways.

"Still as annoying as ever, but I'm sure he'd love to see you too." Astrid says, clasping arms with her.

"I might like that too." Minden mutters and nods. Astrid and I make eye contact and share a smile as our bodies drift ever closer with our friends nearby. For the first time in months, I feel like we actually have a plan, like there is light at the end of this tunnel and peace can actually be achieved. It was a fool's hope, to be sure, but one I had none the less. I'd fight and die for peace if I had too, it was within our power as a race to be peaceful, I know it is. It is within our power to accept each other's differences and grow together; to coexist with those peoples who view things differently and those animals that share the world with us. All it took was there being more good people than bad, and that the good people did not stand with indifference but instead acting with good intentions. Bad people can only act at the behest of indifferent good people, for it takes the support of those around you to be truly evil for most.

All that was left now was seeing everyone off this island and returning home, I think Astrid and I were both due for a well-deserved rest together.


	82. Snoggletog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated M - Adult Content

After seeing our most illustrious guests off the Island, we invited The Berserkers, Defenders of the Wing, Outcasts and Wingmaidens to our island to celebrate our perfectly named holiday tradition; Snoggletog. It had always taken place in the winter in the time between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox; usually happening before the worst of winter. Snow had always draped the village during Snoggletog, and since the dragons had joined us, each Snoggletog had been better than the last. This one would be a little different in that it was the first Snoggletog since my father had passed. It was the first one where we had invited allies from neighboring islands, it was also the first one I'd spend with my mother, and the first one I'd spend with Astrid as a couple. This was a lot of firsts.

It was a chance to reconnect with our allies and our families, our friends without the looming danger that'd follow come the end of winter when we'd oust the trappers. A chance to take a day and just forget about the battles we had been through, the battles we would still have to wage and just enjoy the presence of those around us. I couldn't wait for such a day and inviting all the friends we made over the years was a big step forward. As one of the oldest tribes in the Archipelago, standing strong at just over four hundred years old, we had made our share of enemies and friends, and seen several tribes rise and fall around us. The Great Hall stood as a testament to the courage and strength of our fore bearers, my father among them.

Gliding my fingers around the shield that shows me standing with my father, clutching the scroll I found left behind by Hamish the Second. I remember that day, I had little confidence in Bucket's ability to paint, and when I saw the first painting my heart sank. But in the end, that was the day that any fear I had my father regretted me evaporated. Sure, in some families, a father showing affection or love for their son is somewhat taboo. I was pleased to say that, while we certainly had our moments of reserving emotions, I feel like that barrier dropped significantly during my time at the Edge.

I feel a gentle hand rest on my shoulder as I glance to my left and see my mother standing there with me, gazing at the shield painting of my father and I with a warm smile. The sounds of laughter in the Great Hall abound but almost drown out at the same time as she looks down to me. "Your father was so proud of you; you changed him in ways I never dreamed possible. This, this is a testament to that love." She says softly before turning and pointing to the lively Hall and adding. "And so is this." She finishes.

"I'm glad you're here mom." I say simply. Looking back to those around the Hall, my eyes immediately fall on Astrid as she's with several of our friends and allies.

Dagur, Heather, Minden, Atali, Snotlout, Throk, The Twins, Fishlegs, Alvin, Mala; all of them were occupying a table with Astrid and laughing, regaling each other and drinking. There were several other Outcasts, Wingmaidens and Defenders along with Berkians and Berserkers who were huddled around the table. The tone, the laughter, it was obvious they were going over our times in the past, likely something we did back on the Edge. I felt a smile crest my lips as I noticed several key things; Minden and Snotlout were sitting close together and laughing, Fishlegs and Heather were next to each other as well. Something that somewhat surprised me, or didn't, I suppose, was seeing Throk next to Ruffnut. It seems that even several years later, the Defender still had feelings for the Nut, much to Tuffnut's chagrin. It begged the question of who our good old Tuffnut may end up settling with; if that was something he'd even do. I remember the conversation we had with Astrid; settling down and having kids. Having kids; with Astrid. I felt my heart skip as I thought about it, and how I longed for that to become a reality.

Gobber walked up to my mother and I with his bell-hand attachment ringing and a smile. "Chief, got a speech ready? Most everyone is here, and better get one now before the drink makes them incapable of talking! I made a new formula this year with Gothi's help." Gobber says mischievously as I shake my head and laugh.

"And what does this formula do, Gobber?" I ask sarcastically as he holds up his hands innocently.

"Oh, it be no different than good old honey mead, just with a bit of Snoggletog twist and kick. Tastes like sweet slices of deliciousness without any aftertaste!" Gobber says delightfully as we walk over to the upper table and he shakes his hand viciously, attracting the attention of all as the Hall comes to a stillness. Gazing down at the sea of friends and family, I feel a warmth even in the dead of winter. "The Chief is gona' speak!" Gobber shouts as all eyes fall on me and I nod, my eyes quickly finding Astrids. She looks up at me with a warm smile and I just feel at ease.

"Tonight, we celebrate our allies, our friends and family. For the first time in four-hundred years, we celebrate Snoggletog with not just our dragons, but our neighbors and close kin. The Berserkers, The Outcasts, Defenders of the Wing and Wingmaidens; you've been stalwart allies over the years even if we did have rough beginnings. I can speak for all of Berk when I say I am proud to call you family and to welcome you for our Snoggletog Celebration!" I call out, holding up a mug as everyone cheers.

"To the Chief!" Astrid calls out, raising her mug as everyone repeats loudly. "To our allies!" She calls out again prompting another repeat of everyone. "To each other!" She finishes and everyone cheers, drinking and going back to laughing. Our eyes locked as I close in on the table with everyone else as they begun telling stories again. I can hear Dagur telling one of where he almost killed me and laughing about it afterwards, he still earned the Deranged title to be sure. But that wasn't what was important as I circle the table and Astrid meets me halfway, embracing in a long, tight hug. I can smell her scent as I bury my face in her shoulder and sighing in relief. Relief at just being with her and nothing more. Pulling back, we lock eyes for a moment before going in for a kiss and I felt like time itself stood still as I drank in her presence.

When we part, I smile and press my forehead to hers amid the laughter and verbose talk around us; it all seems drown out as all I can hear is her. "The Equinox is just around the corner." I say softly as her hands hook around my neck and she smiles.

"I've never looked forward to anything more." She answers as we sway to the sound of a growing music. Glancing behind us, Gobber had apparently started playing a song for all to listen too that just fit the tempo we were swaying at. We swayed like that for a minute before I was drawn to Dagur as he addressed me specifically.

"Uh, Brother. Not to, pull you away from what I understand is important." He comments, sitting closely to Mala and smiling while Astrid and I part and move closer.

"What is it?" I ask as he shrugs and glances around the table.

"Uh, Snoggletog. Why is it named that?" He asks and I sigh and laugh almost at the same time as I shrug.

"I've been asking that for years. Tradition, who knows. But it is. And welcome to it, you all too." I say, glancing around as everyone nods, holding up a mug.

"Thanks fer having me, Hiccup!" Alvin says. "I've not been to a Snoggletog in, oh, thirty years or so since before I was banished! Ye know, we Outcasts tried to have something like Snoggletog I called Grottlelog! But it, well, it never took off." Alvin exclaims as we all laugh around the table and he just looks around. "What's so funny?" He asks as I just shake my head.

"Yes, Hiccup, thank you for inviting us. It was nice to come see where you and the other riders grew up." Atali said. "And while we don't permit males to stay on our island, we appreciate you allowing us to stay here. Our Fledgling Razorwhips are resting in the stables." Atali says before standing and closing closer to me and whispering. "And I think Minden and Snotlout might well advance; if he can accept our courting ways." She says as Astrid scoffs.

"Good luck with that." She mutters with a half smile as I bump hips with her and she laughs.

"Hey, he seems to actually like Minden, who knows." I add as she just shakes her head and then rests it on my shoulder. I tug on Astrid's hands and pull her away from the table and rest my hands on her hips as hers find their way around my neck with our foreheads touching again. There, we sway to the music Gobber is playing.

"I could spend all night just like this." She whispers, closing her eyes and swaying her hips with mind as we move to the beat. I smile, I could too, but I could think of other things we could do together to pass the night.

"Is there any other way you think we could pass the night?" I teasingly ask as she opens her eyes and bites her lip, nodding.

"Definitely." She answers and takes my hands, leading us out of the Great Hall while no eyes were on us. At first, I thought she was going towards the house, but her direction changed to the Forge; to my private little room. That was our room, where I could work anything at any time of day without fear of waking people up. Tonight, I wouldn't be working with the flames of the forge, but there would certainly be a heat and sweat I'd be working with, and I'd love every second of it.

*********************************

This was becoming all too familiar, not that I was complaining in the slightest. The quietness of the village as we walked through while everyone was at the Great Hall celebrating, we spent time with those around us and then disappeared together. Surely, others had noticed by now but said nothing and sought nothing. And that's how I'd like to keep it, because anyone who disrupts my time with Hiccup like this was earning a one-way ride to Valhalla.

We had grown so much bolder with each other, the tepidness was evaporating, the awkwardness, the unease; it was all a thing of the past. I knew Hiccup and he knew me, we knew each other's bodies, our hearts and minds. There was nothing we didn't know about each other by now. Every scar on his chest, the little one on his chin, his forearms and legs. I knew, I was there. The arrow wound on my leg, the remnants of cuts or burns from battle that were scattered around my body, Hiccup knew. It was not something everyone else could say, we knew each other in ways most would never dream. I may have been jealous when Dagur and Mala showed up and announced their wedding, acting all affectionate with each other. But that was still our awkward phase, now, those two couldn't hold a candle to how Hiccup and I are together except that they were actually married. Not that it mattered, as in our minds, we were married as well.

We got to the Forge and inside Hiccup's small room, our hands broke and he immediately went to the forge while I locked the door and sealed it. The heat from the forge was already strong as I turned to look at him and immediately felt myself pinned against the wall as his lips pressed against mine, his leg spreading mine. Wrapping both arms around his neck, I moan into his mouth as I press my hips against his as our tongues connect. His taste and scent, it was like the first time every time, like I could get lost in the essence of it. Hearing his moans into my mouth as our tongues vied for dominance over the other, wrapping and slicking around each other, it made me feel hot and flustered; it made my legs ache and my lower area already began pulsing as I grinded against him.

Our lips part, though our tongues hang as we recover, breathlessly panting and looking into each other's eyes. I bite my lower lip and smile, leaning in and kissing his neck before leaning into his ear and whispering. "I want you." Softly as I hear him breath heavily against my neck. Pushing him back, I push him to the makeshift bed he made. The record time our cloths vanished from our bodies was dazzling but right as I push him back on top of the bed, so that he is sitting. Climbing on his lap, I sit and press my hips against his, leaning in and smiling. Undoing my braided hair, I let it fall to either side of my head as I lean in and slowly grind my hips against his very stiff member below as he moans, his hands resting on my hips.

"Astrid." He pleads softly as he presses his hips up, I can feel him throb beneath me and the sensation alone is enough to make me moan. I lean down, kissing his lips playfully as he leans against the wall, still sitting partially up with my riding him. His lips move to my breasts and nipples, wrapping around one then the other, prompting separate moans with each touch as I rock my head back. His stiff member still pressing solidly against my wet, warm area.

He needn't say more, we both wanted the next bit, I wanted it, I needed it and so did he. Raising my hips, I reach below and guide his member up as I sit back down. I feel the tip slowly enter as we both collectively moan before I lower all the way, feeling him fill me up completely. I felt my legs spasm as his full length pressed deep inside me, forcing me to lean in and moan into his shoulders. I start rocking my hips and already feel extremely sensitive as he rocks in return, his lips finding my shoulders then neck before I feel him bite down. The feeling of it, of his bite followed by his kiss made my legs go weak and shake softly as I tried to keep moving. It was something else today, I was more sensitive than normal, I already felt like I had become overwhelmed with passion. That, however, did not stop Hiccup.

Where my legs already felt weak, already felt as though they had spasmed due to the need I felt; his hips started rocking where mine struggled. Each movement he made prompted a moan from me, a short, soft moan. I felt each one escape my lips as I closed my eyes and pressed down against his hips, wrapping my arms around his neck. His own hands guiding my hips as he popped his hips up and pulled me back down on top of him, grinding each time, moving around within me. I felt my eyes rolling back as I moan and leaned into him. He was guiding me even though I sat on top of him.

Suddenly, without warning, I felt myself hoisted up with my legs involuntarily wrapping around his hips as Hiccup stood and turned around. Before I even opened my eyes amid feeling him within me, I felt myself being lowered on the bed as he laid on top of me and drove deeper inside of me, prompting another deep moan. "Hiccup!" I moan, his name sliding off my tongue as he continues his movements. His thrusts becoming more pointed, more direct. It's like he was gauging which one made me moan louder and then hit that spot again and again. "Keep. Going." I stuttered through a moan as I felt him hit a sharp sensitive spot. And he did; he hit it again and again, each time eliciting one moan after another. His pace quickened as I tightened my legs around his hips. I had already erupted in passion and I was nearing another, and I could tell he was as well by the way his body moved and the sounds he made.

"Astrid!" He moans against me as his lips find mine. I bite his lower hip and kiss him with each thrust moving our lips apart as he moans again. "I'm- I'm almost.." He stutters between means, his lips grazing mine as I rock against him, invigorated by his passion.

"Keep. Going. Hiccup. Hi-HICCUP!" I call out as I feel him throb within me, his thrusting going faster as he drives as deep as he can, filling every inch within me as he calls out.

"Astrid!" He moans and calls out, leaning down and biting my neck briefly before I feel his warm breath as his movements come to a slowing close. I can feel the warmth below and within me as I tighten and feel him throb, the sound, the scent it was unmistakable and I honestly loved it. Hiccup lays across my chest as his face rests in my shoulder, breathing heavily. His member still inside of me as my legs spasm until I finally unlock my feet and let my legs lay open with him across me. I kiss his neck and slide my hands up his back til I find his hair and slowly start playing with it.

Another braid being added to the two I had given him. No one knew, not even Stoick knew, I think. One day, while we were out searching for dragons, long before the Edge. There was a moment we shared; it was after the dragon races had started. Even then, we knew we'd end up together eventually, if our randomly timed kisses in our youth weren't a sign enough. But there, gazing out past the sea stacks as the sun set, I braided those strands and he just never undid them except to wash them, and when he did, I redid it for him. No one ever asked, no one questioned. It was just sort of there one day and no one even noticed it but us. It was a sort of silent promise, I guess. I added the third on his other side, his right side. Maybe they'd notice this one, maybe not, but it didn't matter.

His soft breaths made me smile as he leaned over and rolled back, looking at me with a warm smile. "I love you." He whispered, leaning up to me and kissing me.

"I love you." I answer softly, returning the kiss as he leans in, pressing his forehead to mine and just closing his eyes. I can tell he was thinking of something, something he'd share when he was ready. Something I didn't need to wait for.

"I was thinking…" He begins as I smile, I knew him so well. "Remember when Throk came to try for Ruffnut's hand in marriage on the Edge, how we talked to Tuffnut about it, asking him how he'd feel?" He begins softly and I feel my heart skip as I nod. Opening his eyes, he smiles. "About settling down; about kids." He adds softly and I feel my breath hitch. I feel a lump in my throat as he looks away meekly with a smile before returning his gaze to me. "I dream about the day you and I can have kids, settle down and just be together." He finishes and I can't stop the smile, the warm feeling as he looks away again. I slide my hand up to his cheek and lean in, kissing him passionately.

"So do I." I answer softly against his lips, kissing him again. We lay there for awhile, like that, just enwrapped in each other's arms, awake and not moving. Basking in each other's presence. This, this is how I could spend all night, without a second thought really. But, unfortunately, that wasn't the way of the world, we still had guests at a party to attend too and the night was still young. Rolling back onto my side as the crackle of the forge sparks, I look at Hiccup's face as his eyes lay closed and his soft breaths causing his chest to slowly move up and down.

"Hmm?" He asks without opening his eyes though his smile widening as his arms tighten around me.

"Should we get back to the party?" I ask after a few seconds, not wanting to disturb a good thing. His smile doesn't falter but he does open his eyes with a shrug.

"Probably. Thor only knows what everything thinks, if they even noticed our absence. We could grab Toothless and Stormfly from the house and claim a midnight flight?" He suggests as I smile and nod.

"Only if they ask, otherwise we don't even need to bring it up." I say with a smile as I roll on top of him, straddling him and kissing his lips as he hands rest under his head. He doesn't fight the kiss at all, and I can feel him getting stiff down there again as I press against him, he laughs and shakes his head.

"You're making it real hard for me to want to go back to the party." He teases with a smile and I grin.

"Oh, how hard?" I playfully retort, fully feeling how hard he is growing beneath me as his smile turns to a smirk and his hands move to my hips as he lurches up quickly, prompting a surprised yelp from me as he hoists me up with him. I'm suddenly pinned to the wall with my legs around him, and his stiff member already sliding inside of me as he kisses me, eliciting a moan from me as I shudder and smile.

"One more round?" He whispers playfully and I bite my lip, my arms wrapping around his neck as I press against his hips, sliding his member back inside of me and nodding.

"One more round." I answer and he smiles, pushing me back against the wall, prompting another moan. We had grown so much bolder together, it was amazing, and I loved every second of it. Every round, every time, every thrust and clench; we grew bolder. We broke each other's boundaries together each time, and we'd continue tearing down the walls of together. We'd get back to the party, for sure, but first, we had a round to finish.


	83. Crosswinds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This will be the last chapter that follows canon. From this point on, I am breaking with HTTYD3; most of it will be the same until the very end. Various conversations and relationships will change. I am still leaving the floor open to anyone who wants to influence the story; I am writing this as I go :)

The night of Snoggletog had come and gone with all of our respective allies returning to their own islands to prepare for our organized assault on the Trappers. While everyone prepared, we had dispatched the A-Team to our allies' islands in pairs. Gustov and Sven had gone to Outcast Island, Seamus and Magnus had gone to the Mongrel Tribe. Bucket, Mulch and Agnar had gone to the Shivering Shores. Heather had sent a pair of her Berserker riders to the Hysterics, Hymir and Defender islands Tribes. The Wingmaidens were comfortable by themselves and the rest of our riders stayed at base, Heather had mentioned training more Berserkers and Hiccup had tasked Eret out to do the same. Eret had really proven his metal and even opted to keep an eye for the trappers and coordinate with the A-Team as they were out through T-mails.

Eret took to the task of training with a fierceness, he seemed ever willing to show his support for Hiccup in whatever way possible. I'll be honest, after watching his initial training with a few of the Tribe, I was impressed. He certainly knew how to train people, must come from his time as a trapper himself and leading ships. Not that I'm holding that against him, he has changed for the better and become a key aspect of our defense and council.

Meanwhile, Hiccup, myself and the riders with Valka continued hitting various Trapper strongholds to keep them on their toes. We were growing more efficient in dealing with them, to a point that the Hunters of old would've been nearly helpless before us at this point. If only Viggo could see us know, flying in dragon-scale armor, each of us like miniature dragons in our own right. The training, combatives and suits made us a force that was ever growing. Though, we still had our blunders here and there. Snotlout was overzealous as usual, Fishlegs meek and the twins were a discombobulated mess; but they were our team and at this point, I wouldn't change any of them.

Berk, which was already becoming filled to the brim with more dragons than we could count; more than had lived on the Edge, more than any single island. Those that lived on the islands near here relocated when Toothless became Alpha, the flock that followed Drago's leviathan had stayed; the pathways were always bustling with dragons moving like a machine. The more we freed, the more that joined us. Sure, some dragons here and there struck out on their own but by and large, they just came back with us. Our island, which I hadn't considered little until just recently, was quickly becoming crowded. We even had a titan wing or two in our flock.

Hiccup did not seem to mind the crowded island, not in the slightest. Our home was still private, the houses besides those dragons that lived with their riders, were private. We had begun encouraging those who had dedicated dragons as learning riders to no longer stable them and instead keep them at home with them to make room in the stables. It was a small dent in a large swath of dragons, but every little bit helped. Gobber, for his part, was doing his best to allocate everything and when he voiced his concern about the growing dragon numbers, it usually fell on deaf ears by Hiccup. He seemed to have no intent on slowing down.

"The island is becoming crowded, Hiccup." I mention after the latest spat with Gobber as we sit in the house.

"Well, what can we do about it? There is no where the dragons will be safe while the Trappers roam, once they are dealt with we can relocate them to their own islands." Hiccup answers with a sigh as I nod, stroking his arm as we sit.

"It's only going to be so long before Berk itself becomes a target. We have thousands of dragons here and the Alpha." I say softly, glancing up at Toothless who coos from his rock slab.

"We're getting closer, Astrid. We've hit so many trapper points, disrupted their operations for months. Now, with the rest of the Archipelago by our sides, they can hardly move without being tracked. We've got the target tonight that we'll hit. Supposedly moving a dragon of vast importance to the trappers. We still don't know their home port, but eventually, we'll find it." Hiccup answers confidently and I nod.

"It's weird that Ragnar, Griselda and Khan have all been absent during our raids. They ran a few personally, maybe they've pulled back to consolidate their efforts. Them being separate was always a benefit for us." I suggest as he nods.

"I've been thinking about that. The trappers themselves are a lot like Eret was; just doing a job, not evil. The evil is from those who command them, who do it for profit. Take down their leaders, their flock will spread and their ways will end." Hiccup states and I smile, turning my head and kissing him passionately on the lips.

"Your confidence is infectious sometimes." I whisper against his lips while we both smile and linger in the kiss. We stay like that for a good while, letting the day shift to evening. Our raid tonight was going to start in the darkness of the morning, when the fogbank was at its strongest. At midnight, we suited up, helping each other fully suit and strap. We moved slower than we needed too, but we each too heart in each other's presence. Taking our helmets and gear, we roused our dragons and quickly made our way to the Academy.

We saw Valka there first, in her full garb from when she was still the lone rider. Her armor there was dragon proofed and helped her get into the right mindset, though she often opted to be backup. Cloudjumper was a force to be respected but not so great on the stealthy side of things. Soon after we arrived, the rest of the riders arrived in their full dragon-scale riding armor. It made me chuckle softly to myself, we almost looked official. And Fishlegs had insisted on making a pouch in his armor for a baby gronkle. Try as Hiccup might to dissuade him, the Boulder-Class loving dragon-rider did not bend and made it anyways.

"Alright, Riders. We're wings up in ten. This mission will be stealth, we'll use the fog to get in and get the dragons out. Only engage if we have no choice, this hit has nearly a dozen ships so we could be overwhelmed if we aren't careful." Hiccup says, glancing around before adding. "Questions?" And to no one's surprise, there were.

"Yes, now here me out; why don't we use the fog to spread endless Zippleback gas and reearn our world's biggest explosion record?" Tuffnut says as Ruffnut nods in agreement.

"Because we could hurt or trap the dragons." Hiccup answers, his hand squarely planting on his forehead as I smile.

"Okay. Okay, but how about after?" Ruffnut asks as Hiccup shakes his head.

"No, we're not staying. By then, they will have had time to reorganize and we do not want that. Anything else?" Hiccup asks

"Aye, where do you want me, son?" Valka asks.

"Overwatch. You can Cloudjumper stay high and if we're about to be overrun, give the signal. Skirmishes here and there we can handle ourselves." Hiccup answers and glances to me; his expression soft while I put a hand on his shoulder and step forward.

"Rumor is the trappers have a very important dragon they are moving on this ship, but we don't know what. It'll likely be one of a kind and stand out. We're not leaving any dragon behind, but that is one we want to bring back to Berk with us if we can." I add for Hiccup and he smiles.

"Alright, gang, remember, we've gotten far together. We'll see each of these raids through to the end together and we're all coming home. Let's go get it done." Hiccup finishes as they all nod, even Snotlout nods with a smile as he closes his Nightmare-esqe helmet.

Then, we take off, flying together. I stayed by Hiccup's wing for the flight. This target was about an hour away from Berk on a strong flight, without the winds flying against us. Tonight, the winds were with us at this altitude and the cloud cover meant our approach would be unnoticed. Above the clouds, the night sky was breathtaking and beautiful, calm and serene even. I couldn't help my eyes from drifting to Hiccup and Toothless as we flew; a sense of admiration maybe. We've all grown so much in the past few years, and here we were again, protecting the Archipelago.

From within our suits, the flight wasn't as cold as it used to be; the dragon scale being padded and thick against the wind. Hiccup gave us the signal and we darted into the clouds on his wing, circling low enough to peek through the clouds. We heard the chatter of men down below, saw the filter of firelight through the fog and various main masts that stuck out through the top. Little less than a dozen ships, completely unaware. On our last circle, Hiccup's eyes met mine and he nodded, diving down into the mist below.

*********************************

The raid was starting out well enough, we swooped down and landed without interference. I was right, they were housing dozens of dragons on this convey and with most of their crew sleeping during the night, and most of the sentries distracted we would have the run of the ship easily. We split up to enter and flank the ships; with the intention on reconvening on me. We had turned into a mostly well-oiled wench, we usually got things right. Worked together well; Oh, I wish the hunters from Viggo's time could get a load of us now, they wouldn't know what hit them. Of course, we had our off days…

That was when I noticed the large boulder-class dragon caged and muzzled by the walking guard. A Crimson Coregutter; a rare boulder-class; rarer even than the Catastrophic Quaken. The guard hit the cage, prompting the dragon to bellow and my brow to furrow; I really didn't like these guys.

Of course, they really didn't like seeing a guy in full black dragon-scale armor with a flaming sword. I remember Viggo taking my flaming sword idea and adapting on it; his adaptations eventually finding their way into mine. The Zippleback gas modification was excellent. Him seeing me walk through fire with Toothless at my side definitely didn't help the situation; I had to stop myself from laughing. They weren't as battle hardened as the Hunters were and definitely seemed more freelance. Maybe there was a chance they'd change jobs when their leaders were gone.

"Ahhh! You're a demon!" He exclaims as I move to shush him.

"No, no! I'm not a demon. I am not a demon!" I say, removing my helmet. His fear was funny, and I'd have to remember this for next time. "See! Just a guy, just a guy here to rescue these dragons. So, uh…"

"BUT YOU WALKED THROUGH FIRE!" He yells! Man, he is not helping us with the stealthy idea.

"Dragonscales! Dragons shed a lot!" I answer

"Nooo! I know a demon when I see one! No human legs are that skinny!" He exclaims as I scoff, looking up as Snotlout lands with Hookfang and they erupt in flames with a roar. Yup, there goes the stealth.

"Think that's a good entrance! Get a load of me!" Snotlout yells before screaming as his butt catches on fire. Shaking my head with my hand to my forehead, I sigh.

"I KNEW IT! MORE DEMONS!" The guard yells.

"That's really just a nitwit who forgot to fireproof his butt." I mutter, rolling my eyes as the twins explode with their Zippleback gas. Again, so much for stealth. "Guys! Too soon, you always come in too soon!" I mutter before Fishlegs lands infront of me, with the baby. No one saw him bring the baby, I'm sure I checked this time and he didn't have a baby with him. I'm sure Astrid did too. Well, now we were just missing her.

"DEMONS EVERYWHERE! IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!" The guard I had almost forgotten about exclaims before there is a loud clang and Astrid stretches out.

"Astrid, I had him right where I wanted him!" I state playfully as she shrugs with a smile.

"And now he's right where I wanted him, let's get to work." She says, patting me on the shoulder and moving past me. She was right, we had work to do and our entrance wasn't exactly the best.

We quickly move apart and start getting the dragons unlatched. Fishlegs goes for the Goregutter as he cries out, unfortunately our stealthiness is short lived as we hear the bellows of the Trappers encroach. Their targeting Toothless, though Astrid and I with our dragons are a force to be reckoned with. We have been training together in more than just the intimate ways and she has really helped me improve my fighting. Toothless knocks one of the trappers and sends him flying as I hear Tuffnut step in.

"No running on the deck! It's slippery, you could fall!" Before the trapper gets knocked over his own axe. The twins and their humor were a blessing and a curse at times, but that honestly made me laugh. Soon, though, Astrid and I were shoulder to shoulder as she glances to me.

"I thought this was supposed to be a stealth mission?" She jests and I shrug.

"Yeah, they always start out that way." I retort before we break again. Fighting out way through a few more and freeing another few dragons, I call out "Clear Out, We got them all!" And they all start clearing out. Doing another quick glance around, it seems like the only dragon of note was the Goregutter, though there was an empty cage that was still locked without anything inside of it. Moving past that, to the edge, I see Fishlegs and the others take off; though I had lost Toothless at that cage. Then, I heard the trappers behind me and turned to see dozens of them closing in on me, alone. "Oh, hey guys…" I mutter with a half-smile as Toothless barrels towards me and we take off.

Daylight was on the horizon as we flew towards Berk with a large flock of dragons in tow. Astrid had flown next to me alone with my mother.

"Nice Stealth Mission there son." My mother comments mid-flight as I laugh and shrug.

"Yeah, well, with the twins and Snotlout, does anything ever stay stealthy for long?" I remark as we hear an explosion from behind us as Hookfang erupts in fire and Snotlout screams his trademark scream. Astrid laughs and shakes her head.

"With those three, nope." She remarks with a smile. "But we won. Did you notice their armor? Unlike anything I've seen in awhile. Even the trappers further into Archipelago didn't wear the same armor. Nor Eret." Astrid remarks and I nod.

"Definitely unlike any we've seen. Think we raided a core crew, not just hired hands? They seemed to be dressed more like Ragnar or Khan. Ah well, we beat them this time and we'll beat them again." I remark with a smile as we see Berk on the horizon. It was quite the sight to see flying in. Evolved from what it had been years ago, dragons flying all around the island as it bustled to life.

I always enjoyed giving my pitch to the dragons we welcomed to our island, even if it was a home away from home to them, I wouldn't be upset if it was a home permanently for them. Of course, Gobber had a thing or two to say to me about that; so did Astrid.

"We could train a lot harder; that was pretty sloppy." Astrid remarks, glancing to the twins and Snotlout as my mother chimes in.

"Astrid… does have a point. Perhaps you rely too much on your dragons and not enough on each other." She comments as I shrug and nod. We did, we relied a lot on our dragons. I was probably the worst in this, I relied pretty heavily on Toothless but I did rely on Astrid and those around me as well.

Gobber himself was none to pleased when the Goregutter nearly demolished have the town by playing, then by the Hobgoblin. My mother though was quick to defend it and after situating the dragons we had in the stables, we found ourselves going towards the Great Hall which was absolutely bustling with people. It was the morning meal, and it was chalk full of Vikings and dragons alike.

Of course, Gobber hadn't dropped his growing comments about the number of dragons we, or rather, I kept bringing back to Berk. But where else could they go. Sure, they were everywhere and made a fair share of messes but they were our family. We never turned our back on them since we changed our ways and while I was chief, we wouldn't start now. So long as there were trappers, there would be dragons in danger, which means that it was up to the Alpha and the Chief to see them to safety. Our ways of life had changed dramatically, sure, but we had changed with them and grown better for it. As noted by the summit that was less than two weeks ago, we were one of the largest powers that be in the Archipelago. The Hysterics and Mongrel Tribes themselves respected us and they respected little beyond brute strength; our ability to train dragons was something no other tribe had been able to replicate except for the Berserkers. And that was only because Heather was a de facto Hooligan and would, if Astrid and I had our ways, be marrying into the Hooligan Tribe before too long.

Of course, Gobber hadn't stopped his monologue since we got back, and he meant well. I knew he loved the dragons and he was more worried that we were becoming to large a target to ignore. He never stopped as the food fight erupted around us, though that was quickly put to a pause.

"Hang up those saddles and get married." Gobber comments and the entire team of riders stops and looks towards us wide-eyed. Sure, it had been mentioned it a couple times randomly in passing, but it was never in such a public or loud setting.

"The M Word." Tuffnut comments.

"Gross. Unless its me." Ruffnut retorts

"Marry him, please. You're the only one with any sense. With you wearing the pants, Berk might have a little hope!" Gobber remarks as silence falls on most of the great Hall. Gobber was by no means quiet in his delivery as she Astrid pushes away.

"Wow, Gobber, not awkward at all." She remarks and walks off, though I see her eyes meet mine as she leaves. There is a softness to them, she wanted to just scream to everyone we would. I know it. We keep saying we're not ready, that we have too much too do. It was a lie we told them to leave us alone; but how were we supposed to announce that we had picked a day? How could we even pretend to do a total u-turn on what we had been saying up until now.

I'll admit, I sort of drowned out Tuffnut's weird rhetoric about marriage and rejection with a half smile. He had no idea, nor would he know or listen even if I told him. Better to let him ramble and appease himself to leave me be. Luckily, Eret was there to change the subject.

"Two more trapper barges spotted in the straight." He comments, his eyes heavy. He had been training and reconning future targets for us, knowing a great deal about the Trappers and their movements. I think he still had a contact or two he wasn't telling us about. Which was fine, I trusted him.

"So we go after them." I remark as Gobber walks back up, Astrid having long left. "What?" I ask as Gobber stares heavily at me.

"One day, you're going to pick a fight you can't win." Gobber mutters and I shrug it off.

"Maybe, but today isn't that day. We have the alpha, a horde of dragon riders dragons, allies throughout the Archipelago." I state, glancing back to Eret. "Where'd you hear about this latest barge?" I ask

"Terror Mail from Outcast Island, nearest to the Baldur Straights." Eret remarks and I nod.

"Alright, Thanks. Riders, get some rest. We'll be heading back out soon." I remark to the rest of the riders that were still there as I get up. I had to find Astrid now, we needed to talk.


	84. Cliffside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for my unexpected absence. My new work has me doing a lot of overtime and I've felt exhausted and not in the state of mind for writing. I should be able to update on the weekends now. I also ran into a stump with how close to HtTYD3 I wanted to keep my story. I'll leave it a surprise, but certain key acts will be, and others will be altered or removed entirely. I'm not sticking with canon as we progress into the timeline of 3.

It was a sight to behold, unfortunately it also made it impossible to find someone when you desperately needed too. I had a flashback to my father, showing me the then bare island of Berk and explaining how it was our home. In that mental picture, it was a sparsely populated island with no more than a few dozen people to its name. Since then, it had grown. Our Tribe was now several hundred strong with many hundred more dragons flittering about. We were quickly becoming one of the strongest and most known tribes within the Archipelago, in no small part due to our victories over Drago, Viggo and Krogan. He talked to me there about the home of the dragons, about the dangers of sailing to find it and falling off the world. Some hidden world behind a waterfall with dragons guardian it not unlike the sentries of Vanahiem. He had only spoken of it a few times since then, but the thought of people and dragons fighting no more had made me happy.

The sight of Berk against the falling sun, the Dragon towers, and expanded huts; we were becoming a bit overpopulated with dragons and it was obvious even to me but what was I supposed to do? I couldn't just let them fend for themselves, neither could Toothless; he's the Alpha. Inherited from when he defeated the last of the Great Leviathans; even though he was no more ready to lead an island of dragons than I was an island of people. We had each other, and we had Astrid to rely on as well.

When she wasn't at the hut or the academy, she would be on a flight somewhere around the island. She missed Eret's report too, and he gave me a location as well. Near Outcast Island and Alvin already had enough to deal with. We weren't ready to fully mobilize yet; so, it would be another raid. We were making ourselves a target, a definite target, and the island I had once considered so large seemed to be growing much smaller. The only privacy I found in recent weeks was when Astrid and I would turn in for the night.

Toothless was in an ever-playful mood on this night too, which didn't help me as I had things on my mind. From finding Astrid to planning the next raid, it felt like my time for fun with Toothless was dwindling to nothing. He only had me; no other Night Furies. Maybe I should revisit the idea of the tail I made for him those years ago, let him fly by himself for a change. I still had the schematics for it from when I had made it those years ago, and with what I know now I could make it out of dragon scale to blend even better.

That comment Gobber made struck a chord too, no one knows Astrid and I had set a date and that date was only a few months away. We need to tell them soon; we can't just spring the surprise on everyone randomly. The more Gobber pressed on us, the more vocal everyone else was about it. Even the other riders were being more vocal about it. From random comments from Snotlout or the twins to Fishlegs vehemently asking who I'd chosen to stand by my side. It was a lot for me to think about, to be sure.

"Oh, so this is where you come to get away from Gobber?" I hear Astrid's voice from above and smile, glancing up and shrugging.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I offer as Toothless takes my leg and give it to her. It makes me laugh lightly as she takes it and tosses it to the side and walks past me, overlooking the horizon.

"Well, he's right you know." She comments and I feel my heart skip a beat.

"Really, you think we should tell them?" I ask, baffled as she walks the line and shrugs, turning.

"They'll just keep asking us about it, and I'd rather not feel like they were controlling us. Maybe, if we just gave them a date, they'd back off." Astrid comments and I nod.

"We can try talking to my mother first, after we get the dragons sorted." I add and she rolls her neck and sighs.

"Yeah, he was right about all of this, too." She adds, sitting and facing the horizon. I knew what she meant; we were becoming overpopulated with dragons.

"Yeah, it really does seem like the whole world knows about us now." I respond, beginning to fold up my map as I hear her let out a breath.

"Yep, and the more dragons we bring here, the bigger a target we become. I wish there was a way to make them leave us alone." She answers and I sigh.

"You missed Eret's report too; the trappers are amassing near Baldur Straight. Possibly rounding up Scauldrons if I had to guess." I mention, shaking my head, sighing as she glances to me and I nod. "My dad mentioned to me a long time ago a story, an old mariners myth really, whole world of dragons beyond the edge of the world. I can't stop thinking what if it was real?" I mutter and she sits closer to me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"What if it was?" She asks, her eyes showing a level of concern with a soft face.

"Then we take the dragons there, and all of us." I answer and she smiles but shakes her head.

"All of the dragons, from all of the islands we've encountered over the years. How about the ones under the water or the ones we can't even see? And abandon our home of four hundred years? Hiccup, we need a real solution, we can't pretend we can get all of the dragons in the entire world to flock to this spot. Toothless may be the Alpha on Berk, but that doesn't mean all dragons everywhere will follow him so easily." Astrid explains and I feel my shoulders slump. She was right of course; she was the realist. Even if we got all of the dragons on Berk to flock to a Hidden World, it wouldn't save the thousands on the other islands.

"You're right, it'll ultimately be safer and easier to just put an end to the trappers and then keep our waters safe. Not all people are like these trappers, just the whims of evil men encouraging those beneath them." I answer and she nods, leaning in and kissing me softly.

"Besides, what can you imagine trying to get all of the tribe to move. Even if the island is getting smaller, it's the only home many of them have known." Astrid remarks and I shrug.

"Hey, you know, maybe we should just get married, tie the knot, follow Gobber's advice. That'll fix everything, right?" I tease as she rolls her eyes and laughs. "Hey, I hear Snotlout still is available if you're having doubts." I jest and she scoffs.

"He only has eyes for your mom!" She retorts and I gasp.

"Playing dirty now!" I remark as she laughs.

"You asked for it, looks like there might be a wedding soon after all. Maybe two!" She adds, teasingly as I grab her waist and pull her back, tickling her as she struggles.

"Oh! How dare you, that is a low blow!" I say amid the giggles and she tries to pull away. "No, no. You are not getting away!" I say and no sooner had I said that did she grab my pinky and pull back, locking my arm and quickly forcing a surrender. "Okay! Okay! You win, you always win!" I remark as she laughs, sitting up next to me.

"You knew what you were getting into." She remarks and I nod and shrug with a smile. Leaning in and kissing her.

"Uh huh, right." I remark and she leans in more, pushing her lips to mine as the kiss lingers. I close my eyes and just drink in the kiss as she pulls back slightly, and our foreheads meet. "I absolutely did." I mutter. We stay that way until Toothless comes up to us and breaks us out of our semi-trance then leaps over to the edge as Astrid and I exchange glances.

"Think he caught wind of something?" She asks and I shrug, standing to follow him as he leaps off the edge and down into the forest.

"Uh, bud! Yeah, sure, don't bother to wait for us!" I call out as I sigh, and Astrid walks up behind me with her hand on my shoulder. "Don't suppose I could get a ride?" I ask sheepishly as she laughs and nods.

"We'll postpone the other ride I had in mind" She comments teasingly and nods. "Let's go follow him." She adds as I laugh softly and smile, following her as we climb onto Stormfly and take off.

*********************************

I could tell Hiccup was wrestling with a lot in his mind. If nothing else by his suggestion to leave Berk and take the dragons with us to this supposed Hidden World. As if we could find such a place on a whim, we had been exploring the bounds of the Archipelago since we were just kids and never saw anything remotely like that besides Vanahiem as the final resting place. A whole hidden world right under our noses just didn't seem possible, even if it would be amazing.

Hiccup gripped me tightly as we rode down on Stormfly towards the area where Toothless had leapt off too, pressing his body to my back and it honestly helped keep me warm amid the cool breeze. It was deep inside the forest, not far from where the spring was. That's when Stormfly started acting fidgety.

"What is it girl?" I ask as she squawks and trots in place. The sun had begun setting completely and it was getting darker inside the forest.

"Let's continue on foot." Hiccup says softly as he slides off Stormfly's back and I nod. Joining him. Stormfly didn't move, just stayed where she was squawking softly. It had me slightly concerned over what could be ahead of us.

"What do you think it is? I'm not sure the last time I've seen Stormfly act that way." I ask and Hiccup nods.

"Not sure, but it sort of reminded me when Hookfang was dealing with the Titan Wing Nightmare, remember?" He asks and I nod. I did remember, none of the other dragons interfered. Hookfang was fighting for a female Nightmare and defending her from a Titan Wing by himself, well with Snotlout.

"So, what are you saying?" I ask softly as we cross another layer of brush.

"I'm saying what if Toothless caught wind of another Night Fury. And Stormfly is backing off to let him deal with it alone." Hiccup answers quietly as we clear another layer of trees.

"Yeah but Hiccup, another Night Fury, we've searched for years for another one. For one to just be on Berk, that doesn't seem likely." I add and he nods.

"No, it doesn't… but" He pauses and holds up his hand and quickly waves it to the side. "Shh, shh, shh." He says and we both look ahead. Toothless was with another dragon, one that looked almost exactly like him only white. We were both awestruck and I saw Hiccup take a step forward without looking a kick a rock. That didn't go over well as we both ducked back from the intense heat of a full forced plasma blast from the other Night Fury.

"Oh, my gods." Hiccup whispers as the white dragon looks aggressively towards him. My heart skips.

"Uh, Hiccup!" I call out and tackle him to the side as it lobs another blast towards him. I wasn't about to let a random dragon rob me of him, not now. Night Fury or not. The blast blew us to the side as Toothless caws in our defense. Hiccup rises and moves closer with me beside him.

"Yeah, yeah, we're friends! No need to kill us." Hiccup remarks as it flies off with Toothless climbing a tree chasing it. It does the most incredible thing, firing a plasma blast and disappearing in the explosion in the cloudless night. He laughs as he glances back to me and I smile, gazing up to where it was.

"Another Night Fury." I remark, it had been true. More do exist.

"No, not quiet." Hiccup says, pausing as we both think on it. "More like a Bright Fury…"

"A Light Fury" I finish for him, glancing at him as he nods along.

"Yeah, yours is better, probably." He says as he glances back up. "We've got to find it. Just look at Toothless."

"I know, Toothless was so excited." I answer softly before turning to look at him. "It's still odd that they'd be here randomly, after searching for so long." I mutter aloud and he turns to me. I can see the look on his face, it's soft and even a bit sad.

"Yeah, I don't know…" He says softly, turning back to me. "Now I'm thinking we stopped just short. Remember our time at the Edge, exploring the northern reaches as far as we could. What if we stopped just short of finding more Night Furies, or this Hidden World." Hiccup suggests.

"We explored every island within range, Hiccup. Every nook and cranny of the Archipelago at the time. I mean, we only recently saw the Veilwing out on Mystery, and we've known about that Island for years. There is no telling what we may or may not be missing out there, to be honest." I respond, taking his hand as he looks down.

"I know, it's impossible to know it all, to see it all but this just shows me there is more. And these trappers, they're making base somewhere we don't know. How, when we've explored the reaches? They're beyond that, there is no way they could hide such a fleet otherwise." Hiccup responds.

"There could be whole areas of the world we haven't been able to see, too far for ship or air travel without constant stops. They run larger ships, more supplies. It'd make sense if they came from beyond what we've seen." I answer and he sighs.

"That means Drago's army wasn't restricted to the Archipelago, and spans more than we could know. How can we really battle an enemy like that? It'd be easier if the Dragon's were able to hide in that world." He says softly, the sound of defeat in his voice as I shake my head and grab both shoulders.

"No, it would be easier for the dragons of Berk to be lead there, if it exists, sure. But then leave the rest of the dragons of the world to be slaughtered by these trappers. You won't be able to rest knowing they are out there, and neither will I. We can protect the dragons by ending the trappers. And we'll end any other threat that pops up. Create a safe Archipelago for both Dragons and Humans, were none who harm is welcome and finally find peace." I explain confidently as Toothless jumps down to our side and coos. Hiccup looks to me and smiles, I can see a tear run from his eye as I lean in and kiss him.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." Hiccup responds softly against my lips as we stay there for a moment.

"Just like when I was at my lowest, when I thought I had lost my sight for good and you stayed by my side. I will always stay by yours." I answer just above a whisper as he pulls me in for a passionate kiss.

Yes, it might be easier to try leading a fraction of the dragon population to wherever this Hidden World was. But trying to coerce the entire population, plus that of Vanahiem, the Great Protector of the Defenders or the Razorwhips with the Wingmaidens? No, we'd be destroying cultures by trying to force them away. We could just as easily defend their cultures and unite, as we had with the Summit, and maintain our coexistence with the dragons.

Though it did beg the question of how far the dragon population truly was, and how far the evils of humans dwelled. Whether it would be easier to search it out and remove it, or safeguard our borders and protect what we have. I'd never truly be able to sleep at night knowing another remnant of Drago's army or the Hunter's existed. That could well be our next path, tracking down all of their ports and burning their documents, their insignias and letting them be lost to time. Let the idea of dragon hunting, the knowledge of their existence by and large and how to kill them be lost. Then, only those who know about and want to live with Dragons peacefully would ever even think to search them out. With the Dragons and a united Archipelago, we'd be able to prevent any invading force from making another foothold in our archipelago ever again.

"We should really head back." Hiccup whispers softly against my lips and I smile, pressing further into his lips and shaking my head.

"I think I'd rather go to the Spring, it's a cloudless night, the water is beautiful, and I'd enjoy the quiet time with you. We can tell everyone else about this tomorrow." I answer, running my tongue across his lips and pressing back into the kiss. I feel his lips part as his arms wrap around my waist and pull our bodies close together, my hands around his neck. Our tongues meet, and I can taste him again as they dance around each other until we are without breath. Pulling away, breathing heavily, I can see the look in his face had changed as he smiles back to me.

"Sounds perfect to me, we can walk there. Let Stormfly and Toothless roam the area by themselves." Hiccup answers softly, he knew what we both wanted and how to get us the privacy we needed. I watched him turn his head to Toothless. "Hey, bud, go have fun, see if you can find out where the Light Fury went. Send up a Distress call if you find anything." He says as Toothless coos and bounds off.

"You too Stormfly, listen for my call." I state to the dragon that had been hanging further back but approached after the Light Fury flew off. She squawked and took off as I turn my head to Hiccup with a smile. "Looks like it's just us now." I say under my breath with a smile.

"Time to get to the spring. One of my favorite spots on the island." He answers, kissing me again before breaking apart and taking my hand. Together we begun our short walk towards the spring.

"Mine too." I answer softly, squeezing his hand and pulling him closer, slinking my hand around his hip as he did the same. I just liked being close to him; and was looking forward to being much closer very soon.


End file.
